World With No Shield
by Ruby Tyra
Summary: Sequel. Ed had thought the Gate had a sick sense of humour the first time around, when It had sent her to a new world in the middle of war. The second time she got tossed out of the Gate wasn't any funnier. Future? Advanced technology? A mechanical genius? Seriously, it wasn't funny anymore... Fem!Ed
1. Chapter 1 - Workshop Appearance

_Welcome to the sequel of "I'll Catch a Break Someday"! Thank you to everyone who had read and commented on the previous story. I hope this one loves up to your expectations!_

_To those coming across this story without having read the 1st one, my suggestion is to go back and enjoy it or else this one will probably not make much sense... :P_

_Enjoy!_

_P.S. As usual, unless stated otherwise, the chapters will be from Ed's POV._

* * *

Cool.

Laying… Something cool.

But… I didn't want to move.

My body was in pain. Why was it in pain?

What had happened?

Think. Think. Think.

Steve. I remembered Steve. His shield. Red. White. Blue.

Blue sparks.

Wait. It came back to me all too suddenly.

Hydra. Airplane. Red Skull. Cube. Steve. GATE!

My eyes snapped open, blinding light hitting me all too suddenly and I quickly squeezed them shut again, groaning painfully. Too much light… Way too much.

Breathing deeply, I went over the events once more.

The Gate. The Gate took me away, leaving Steve to crash the airplane into the water…

But then… It must have spit me out somewhere else.

Well, not necessarily. I could be back in the in-between, that white, endless space.

I truly hoped not…

Well, one way to find out.

I took another deep breath before slowly prying my eyes open, almost praying that I saw something else than just a white expanse. Anything but that. Any – anything…

Were those cars? So… So many cars and that was just in my direct line of sight.

Where was I?

I lifted my head, easily spotting several more cars all lined up near a wall. The rest of the area though… What...? What the fuck were all those things? They looked like some type of equipment for... something. But everything seemed so much more sophisticated than anything I had ever seen.

Even more sophisticated than what Howard could come up with.

Where did that damn Gate drop me this time?

Gathering my strength, I shakily pushed myself up with only my left arm, biting back a groan at the pain that flared up across my back.

I had forgotten about the abuse it had taken during the fight.

I only just managed to slide my knees under me and I flopped back, trying to find a position that didn't inflict more pain than necessary as I... I...

My eyes widened at what lay in front of me.

Yeah, this place was definitely more sophisticated than anything I had ever seen.

This - this wasn't Hydra, was it?

"Sir, the scan is complete."

I jumped at the sound of that voice, regretting the action almost instantly as pain flared through my body and limbs. Sudden movements were NOT a good idea...

"Don't tell me I'm right. Just once, don't."

Where...? That second voice sounded much more human and it came from a specific point, not like the other one that seemed to originate from... everywhere at the same time.

There. A man was standing on the other side of one of the many tables, leaning heavily against it as he just... stared at me. Studying him, I had this nagging feeling that I may know him but, at the same time, I didn't remember ever meeting him.

I would have remembered that beard that was for sure.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but your assumption was exact," replied that echoing voice. It almost sounded metallic. Where was the other person?

The man breathed deeply, still staring at me before he shook his head, pushing away from the table. "No, impossible. This is just a look a like. He can't be here. He can't be _alive_."

"Sir, this is the Edward Elric of the Howling Commandos, from 1945."

I blinked, surprised by that response. Not many people knew my name even though I was a part of the Howling Commandos on top of being friends with Steve. I had done it on purpose and had tried to keep it that way so not to involve Edward and Alphonse in the whole mess that was Hydra and the S.S.R. Had the S.S.R. published my name somewhere? Why would they?

So, how did this person know about me?

And how...? What – what the hell was that that just appeared?!

Where the hell did the Gate drop me?

Some type of semi-transparent, bluish screen popped up near the man and it quickly filled with pictures of the missions Steve and the rest of us had been on.

Weren't those CLASSIFIED?!

And how are those pictures even being shown?!

The man eyed the images and then me, breathing deeply as he kept going back and forth several times before pinching the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut.

"This is a bad dream. I haven't slept in a while. That must be it," he mumbled, turning heel and heading... somewhere.

I blinked, confused. This man seemed to recognize who I was and, for some unknown reason, he didn't look happy about my being here... Wait…

"Where – where am I?" Damn... My voice was weak and it cracked at that question. It felt like I hadn't spoken in such a long time...

I had spoken to Steve before – before the Gate took me away from him.

The man shook his head, walking further across the area – the workshop maybe? His workshop? Lab? I could still somewhat make him out amongst all the tables and equipment and pieces on top of them. What was all this used for?

It didn't matter though. I had other priorities!

"Hey!" Still weak but I cleared my throat trying to find the strength to keep voicing all my hundreds of questions. "Hey, wait, where am I? Who are you? How did I even get here?"

My voice gave out at that last question and I coughed out, doubling over. The pain that had previously subsided came back with a vengeance, spreading once more through my body. Not good... Could things get any worse? It was a mixture of coughing and groaning that came out of me, worsening my condition.

It took a moment but I finally managed to sit back on my legs, breathing slowly, hoping to not start another coughing fit. By then, the man was across the room, leaning against a counter, a glass of... alcohol, strong alcohol, in his hand.

I cleared my throat but decided not to try just yet to talk. Instead, I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head to the side, waiting for an answer to at least one of the many questions I had managed to ask.

"Don't give me that look," said the man, massaging his head once more. "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that _the_ Edward Elric who had last been seen in 1945 got dropped in my basement in 2009."

He took a large gulp of his drink after saying that but I... I was more concerned by... those last words...Were they – were they true?

2009\. Was the year really 2009? Did that fucking Gate really keep me... _wherever_ it kept me for - for 64 years?

64 years?

"You can't be serious," grumbled the man and I blinked, focusing on him once more. "That expression you're wearing. You can't actually be the same person!" He almost yelled that out, pointing to the pictures with a wave of his hand.

But… I was still processing… "It's really 2009?" I repeated softly.

Because, if it really was 2009, then that meant that everyone I knew back in 1945 was most likely… Possibly…

Did I just lose them too? On top of Steve? On top of Bucky?

Had that been the price? Was that what that fucking Gate took away from me in order to dump me here? Wherever _here_ was?

The man breathed deeply, catching my attention and it looked as if he was trying to quell his temper. "Yes, it's 2009," he snapped. "You've been missing for over 60 years and _somehow_, I'm the one that gets stuck with you! YOU!"

I frowned slightly. It wasn't the first time that he had a problem that it was _me_ specifically. Did he know me? Why was he mad? We never met considering he looked in his forties and I've been transported over 60 years in the future…

"I'm getting the feeling you don't like me," I mumbled, already attempting to push myself up. If he truly didn't like me, he could attack and, currently, I was in no position to defend myself, let alone fight back.

"Great deduction," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. "I thought you were some sort of _prodigy_."

Right, the impression of him not liking me was growing. Better get to my feet quickly, just in case. I somewhat pushed myself up, reaching out to the nearest table to help myself the rest of the way because my body truly didn't seem in the mood to make these movements.

I guess whatever adrenaline I had during the battle wore off A WHILE ago…

"Look, there must be a reason I ended up here," I began, finally standing somewhat straight. The back was complaining but I tried not to show that on my face. "Wherever _here_ is…"

The man just took another gulp of his drink, turning around and pouring himself some more in his glass. Great, this is going to be more complicated than with…

Wait. "Were you here when I arrived?" I asked suddenly, remembering what Dr. Erskine had written to me back then, how the Gate had talked to him, showed him who I was. What the Gate had shown him had gotten the doctor to trust me. If the Gate had done something similar with this man, maybe I can get through to him.

"With the light show and creepy doors? Yeah, still trying to wrap my head around that too. I have enough on my plate without adding _you_ to the equation."

Ok, he saw the Gate! "Did It show you anything? Say anything?"

The man stared at me and I couldn't read his expression. He had a good poker face, I had to admit, almost as good as –

"No. Just dumped you and disappeared."

Fuck…

I leaned heavily against the table, groaning in frustration. "Can you at least tell me where I am?"

The man stared at me for a moment before answering, "Pretty far from where you were last seen."

I rolled my eyes at that ridiculously vague answer. "You're being a real asshole, you know that?"

"No one's forcing you to stay_, short stuff_."

I froze, eyes wide. He did NOT just call me that! "Hey! Listen you jackass! You – !"

"What is going on here?"

A red-headed woman had walked in from a glass stairwell and made her way between the two of us, looking overly confused and cautious. "Who are you and how did you get here?" she asked, focusing her attention on me.

"Well I don't even know where _here_ is because of him!" I growled out, my patience wearing thin. Especially considering that bastard was being difficult for no fucking reason!

The woman blinked, glancing behind her at the man who just shrugged. "He dropped from the ceiling if you'd believe that," he answered, motioning up with his glass.

"He…? He what?" she sputtered, looking even more confused as she stole a glance at the very intact ceiling.

"A Gate dropped me here," I added, swinging my arm around and regretting it almost instantly. Right, no sudden movements… "Wherever here is. Mind answering that question?"

"Here?" repeated the woman, glancing around the room, perhaps trying to process what was going on. Then her gaze landed on the screen with my pictures still up. The ones that showed me standing next to Steve and the rest of the Howling Commandos. The ones taken in 1945.

She slowly made her way towards the screen, frowning slightly. She looked from the screen, back to me, several times before she slowly uttered, "Are you…?"

I clenched my left fist tightly. "Where. Am. I?" I barely managed to articulate.

"Malibu, California," she answered.

California. The Gate not only dropped me over 60 years in the future, but also across the damn continent! I leaned against the table, massaging my face, processing everything that had happened.

Now what am I supposed to do?

"So, he…? You…?" The woman was attempting to formulate some type of sentence, some type of question. Why wasn't she around when the Gate had dropped me? At least she didn't look like she hated me…

She took a deep breath, raising her hands. "Alright, let's back up. What do the two of you mean by a 'gate' dropping him here?"

She turned towards the man, raising an eyebrow at that question. He waved his hand and another screen just… materialized on top of another table. How did he keep doing that? How does that even make ANY sense?! He fiddled with whatever was on that screen until it showed a filmed version of the room we were in.

The woman walked over as the screen showed the sparks, the Gate appearing and how it just left me on the ground. The man then waved his away and the screen just disappeared.

"So… You weren't making that up," she mumbled, breathing deeply. "But," she turned towards me, studying me carefully, "are you alright? You look like you'll keel over any time soon. And your arm was… is it broken?"

"'m fine," I lied.

She didn't look convinced as she shook her head. "You're heading to a hospital," she stated with finality.

"No!"

"No way!"

The man and I glanced at each other and I was partially surprised by his outburst: I had not been expecting him be so vocally against the whole idea. However, that could just be because he didn't care or just wanted me out of –

"If the press gets even an inkling about him and where he came from, they'll have a field day!" said the man, shaking his head, looking all too adamant.

The press? It felt as if there was something I was missing…

"And I'm not going to any hospital," I added, just to make the situation clear.

The woman looked exasperated as she glanced between the two of us. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Let him leave," said the man with a shrug.

I blinked at that response, repeating it in my head and… "Let him…?"

I growled out, glaring at the man.

You know what? Fuck this shit.

Stairs. That should lead outside.

I turned heel, using one of the many tables in this area to support myself as I hobbled towards the stairs. There was glass surrounding said stairs but I guessed one of the panels was a door. If not, I still had a functioning automail leg that could probably break through.

"Wait! Where are you going?" called the woman but she didn't seem to make a move to stop me.

"Away," I growled out. "Somewhere else. Anywhere else. I can understand when I'm not welcome somewhere."

"Amazing that you figured that out all by yourself. Good riddance," mumbled the man.

"But he's in no condition to go anywhere!" sighed the woman, finally making her way towards me but I had reached the glass by then and tugged at the almost imperceptible handle. "If you're leaving, you're going to a hospital!" That part must have been directed at me but I ignored it.

It took a few tries but the door finally opened. Good, I was just about to kick it… I yanked at the handle and continued my way to the stairs. This may not be the best idea with the condition my body was in but I needed to get out. I took a deep breath as I climb the first step. My body was not appreciating this…

Another step. Just one step at a time and then I would be out of here and –

I crashed down hard, probably not having lifted my foot high enough apparently...

Groaning deeply, I… Just breathe. Come on.

"What hit the stairs?"

Fucking… "My body, jackass," I mumbled angrily, not appreciating that the man now decided to care about what happened.

"I know that," he replied, his voice closer. He must have entered the stairwell. "But something _metal _hit the _metal _stairs. What was it?"

Stupid, fucking, asshole of a GATE! "You're imagining things." I tried to push myself up with my left arm as it shook immensely. Yeah, adrenaline is _completely_ gone…

I finally managed to push myself enough to at least sit on the stairs, turning my head and spotting the man at the base. He was studying me, his gaze scanning over my body until… until it stopped on my broken automail.

"Is your arm a prosthetic?" he asked, motioning towards it with a tilt of his head.

"None of your damn business," I snapped, frowning deeply.

He looked ready to retort but stopped short, rolling his eyes instead. "He never mentioned that," he mumbled all too softly, turning heel.

"Who never mentioned what?" I said, not caring that I may not have been able to hear those words.

The man stopped, glancing back in confusion for half a second before he nodded towards me, "You answer my question first."

"Fuck you," I replied instead, shakily standing, using the railing all too much for support. "I'm not getting any more answers here so I'm going to find someone who can actually help."

The woman squeezed her way into the stairwell, placing herself between the two of us, her hands up. "Alright, both of you, you're acting like children," she chided before glancing at me in particular. "And what I said goes, you leave and you'll be heading to a hospital. You're in no condition to go anywhere else."

"I'll take my chances," I grumbled.

I heard her sigh as I continued to climb the stairs and it was getting more difficult with every step I took... Why the fuck was there so many…? I faintly heard the sound of heels following me but I resisted the urge to turn around and curse the woman out. She just wanted to get me to a hospital. She wasn't the one who wanted to kick me out of this… this…

Who the fuck designed this house? It was like nothing I had ever seen! Was everything in the future this – this… bland? And where was the damn exit? All those thoughts ran through my mind as I rested heavily on the banister at the top landing, trying to catch my breath.

"Are you really Edward Elric?" asked the woman softly, stopping next to me.

I looked up at her, noticing how she was studying me carefully. She was guarded but still curious apparently.

"Doesn't matter," I replied instead, choosing a random direction, hoping that it would lead me to the front door. Or heck, even the back door would work. "I don't belong here and I don't want to stay here."

She sighed once more, continuing to follow me in my slow progression through the nearly empty room. "Listen, you can stay the night, to at least sleep. You look dead on your feet."

I glanced back at her, my eyebrows raised in surprise. "You live here?"

She looked taken aback by the question. "No, I do not."

"Then _you_ can't offer for me to stay here. That _jackass_ downstairs, the one who probably owns this horrid house, doesn't want me here."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, looking like she was trying to keep her cool. "Listen, we may have started on the wrong foot, my name is Virginia Potts. Others call me Pepper though."

My shoulders sagged as I massaged my face. Pepper. Why did her name have to resemble Peggy's so much? That Gate has a sick sense of humour… I shook my head, not wanting to dwell on whoever I knew back in 1945. Not now anyway, it wouldn't do me any good…

"Fine," I finally huffed, lowering my hand from my face. "Fine! Ed Elric. Just Ed is fine."

"So, you truly are from…" She motioned towards the stairs leading downstairs, probably at the screens that jackass had pulled up with my information on it.

"I didn't ask to be here," I whispered.

"No, but you are. So, we need to figure out what we need to do next. Which is probably you getting some much-needed sleep."

I stared at her for a moment, thinking it over. I didn't know her. I knew the man downstairs even less. Why would I trust either of them? Staying in this unknown house with these people? How…?

I bit back a groan. The Gate. That fucking Gate dropped me here for a reason. It had dropped me in Dr. Erskine's basement all those years ago and now, It dropped me with these people…

I needed to figure out _why_ I was _here_. What made this place so special?

Was it because of my automail? It was broken and useless but… All those tools and parts downstairs. Could that man possibly fix my arm?

Great. Just great. It just had to be the person that hates me for some unknown reason.

"Fine," I huffed. "It's better than being dragged to a damn hospital."

* * *

_As usual, let me know what you thought! Love you all!_

_P.S. If some of you are mad at Tony's reactions, please be patient, there is a good reason, I promise! Also, if you're curious as to when this story takes place, I shall try to make it clear soon! No worries!_


	2. Chapter 2 - Only a Night

_Wow! I am so touched by the amount of reviews, favorites, and followers this story has received for just the first chapter! Thank you so much!_

_I truly hope this story lives up to your expectations! _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Honestly, I hadn't wanted to actually sleep, not until I had gotten more information on where I was and on who Pepper and the man were. I wanted to at least have a semblance of an idea on whether or not I could trust them. The Gate had a sick sense of humour and I wouldn't put it past It to make my life even more difficult by tossing me with enemies.

However, the moment I flopped onto the bed to act as if I was going to rest for Pepper's sake, well…

I was out cold.

Completely, one hundred percent, asleep.

Not my proudest moment, I had to admit…

I awoke with a start who knew how long afterwards. It had to be many hours later because it was dark outside, very dark if the black expanse beyond the wall to wall windows was any indication. I squinted, trying to remember where there had been… I faintly saw an outline of a lamp and fumbled around until I finally managed to open it.

I breathed deeply, waiting for my eyes to adjust as I pulled out my pocket watch, opening it out of habit but… I never set it to whatever time it had been when I had arrived. It was useless. I looked around the room but I didn't see a clock anywhere. Well that's just great…

I swung my legs off the side of the bed, studying the room once more before spotting a dresser with some clothes placed on top of it. Those couldn't be for me.

Could they?

I slowly pushed myself up and made my way to the clothes, lifting the pieces and –

"Miss Potts took the liberty of purchasing some articles of clothing for you. They should fit, I provided the measurements."

I must not have been completely awake because I jerked badly at that sudden voice, knocking into the dresser, hard, and tripping to the floor. This just wasn't my day it seemed…

I leaned my back against the dresser as I scanned the room, searching for the owner of that voice. Wasn't it the same one from the basement? It had the same metallic sound to it. But where was he? I hadn't seen him downstairs, much less now in this bedroom.

"If you are looking for a person, you will not find one," said the voice and I grew even wearier of it. Could they read minds in the future? "I am an A.I., I mainly run this house."

"A.I.?" I repeated, confused.

"Artificial Intelligence."

That didn't exactly answer my question but at least it let me know that the voice was somewhat sentient. Maybe… maybe I could get some answers from him?

"Alright," I began slowly, pushing myself back up, "so, does that mean you can at least tell me what time it is?"

"It is currently 3:46 in the morning. You have been asleep for over 11 hours."

I blinked in surprise. Over ELEVEN hours? I hadn't slept that long since… I sighed, leaning against the dresser. Since Amestris… I patted my coat pocket, checking once more to make sure my journal was still on me. I at least could possibly find a way for to Amestris.

However, there was no way I would be able to get back to 1945. Crossing dimensions may be possible but I wouldn't know the first thing to research to even attempt time travel. Alchemy allows for many possibilities but I didn't think time manipulation was one of them…

"If you'd permit," began the voice, pulling me from my thoughts, "how would you prefer to be addressed?"

"Uh… Ed is fine. What should I call you?" I answered, actually getting used to communicating with the voice.

The mental image I made for him probably helped as well: I pictured him as a soul that was bounded with the house. That at least I could understand, unlike 'artificial intelligence'… Whatever that was.

"My name is Jarvis but I was referring to your preferred honorific," he – I decided to refer to the voice as him since it sounded male – elaborated. However, I was confused by the question and the term used. He must have somehow saw it in my expression because he continued, "Miss or Mr.?"

My eyes widened at that, the question on how he even saw the expressions flying out the window. "How…?"

"A biometric scan allowed me to confirm that you are female. However, from records and from your choice of attire, I concluded you prefer to be male. So, shall I refer to you as Mr. Elric?"

"Definitely not Mr. Elric," I replied with a quick shake of my head. "Just Ed is fine."

"And pronouns? When I refer to you to others?"

I paused, thinking it over. Would I need to hide here as well? Was there a need to do so? Before I could make up my mind, Jarvis provided a solution. "May I suggest I refer to you depending how you've decided to present yourself? Whether you are dressed in male or female clothing?"

I nodded, thinking it over. "For now, that could work." I glanced at the clothes Pepper had gotten, going through them once more. "Just to be clear, these are male clothes?"

"That is correct."

So that means… "Pepper doesn't know?"

"Nobody apart from myself."

"Let's keep it that way for now, alright, Jarvis?"

"For now."

I paused, glancing towards the ceiling. "Are you going to go share all this information with that man?" I asked. If this house belonged to that man and Jarvis ran this house, then… Jarvis was probably loyal to him.

"Not unless specifically asked," he replied, confirming my thoughts.

"Great, just great," I huffed, going back to the clothes.

"Specifically, on whether you were male or female. I do not think Sir would ask that."

I glanced at the ceiling once more, appreciating the loophole Jarvis created. That could work.

"There is a bathroom connected to this room if you wish to freshen up," he said and I glanced around, finally noticing the other door. "If there is anything else you require, let me know."

Anything else…? There had been something that I had been avoiding, especially considering I hadn't been getting straight answers from the owner of this house. With Jarvis, however, he at least had been forthcoming with information.

Maybe…

"Can – can you tell me what happened to… to Steve and the others?" I whispered, looking up at the ceiling, holding my breath.

"To Captain Steve Rogers and the Howling Commandos?" clarified Jarvis and I shakily nodded.

Sixty years. It had been over 60 years… Maybe they were…?

I jumped as images began appearing on the windows, agglomerations of files and pictures of every Howling Commando. They covered nearly all the glass. I stared at them, not really reading them just yet. I couldn't move. I wanted to know but, at the same time, I was scared of the answers.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the images so I took a deep breath. And then another.

I couldn't keep avoiding it. I needed to know what happened to them.

I slowly made my way towards the windows, my gaze fixed on the closest one, the file on Dum Dum. There was an official picture of him with his information while several other pictures were placed around. I forced myself to go through each line one by one to – to…

Those dates.

He – he's gone… Dum Dum passed away…

I sucked in a breath, staring at his picture. I – I had JUST seen him. He had been at the Hydra base with the rest of us. He had made that stupid joke on the airplane on our way there to distract me from my fear of flying.

And now… He's gone.

I barely moved my head and yet the next batch of images moved closer all by themselves. Jim.

He's gone too…

Dum Dum. Jim. Jones. Monty. Dernier. All of them were gone.

And… Bucky.

I fell to my knees when his image came up and for some god-awful reason, they moved with me, staying at eye level. His face just stared back at me and – and…

I started crying. I hadn't cried since I had arrived, since being thrown decades into the future, away from everyone. But, seeing Bucky, seeing his face brought everything back, reminding all too much of everything that I kept losing, of all the people I've let down.

"I'm sorry, Bucky," I whispered, wiping away some tears. Didn't matter all too much since more kept falling. "I'm so sorry…"

Turning my head just enough was all that was needed to bring the next file closer.

Steve.

That was Steve's file. I had JUST seen him! That fight with Schmidt, the airplane, it happened YESTERDAY but it seemed so far away.

I quickly scanned the information, holding my breath and on the little hope I had that…

MIA.

He went missing the day of the attack.

Steve truly did sacrifice himself to destroy that airplane and the weapons on it. And, even if Steve had managed to give the coordinates and heading to the S.S.R., they hadn't found him.

I punched the floor, cursing out Schmidt. If he hadn't broken my automail, I would have been able to take the airplane down! They probably would have found Steve!

All this would NOT have happened! I wouldn't be in an even bigger mess than I already had been.

And Steve…

I turned back to the pictures of him on the window. Most were of him in his Captain America outfit. But one in particular, he was in civilian clothes. That was how I knew him, I remembered him. Yes, he was Captain America to so many people but… to me, he was still Steve Rogers, the guy from Brooklyn, the one that trusted me from the very beginning. And how did I repay him? By letting him fly that airplane into the ocean. Alone.

If I had just insisted, if my arm hadn't been broken, then Steve would have survived. He would have been able to live a life, be with Peggy.

Peggy. Peggy. Peggy.

My gaze landed on Howard's file first and I stopped, squinting at the lines to try –

The file came closer by itself. I scanned it and… I shouldn't have been surprised but it… it still hurt that he was gone too.

I massaged my face, breathing deeply.

It hurt and… it was all hard to process. I had JUST seen them. Every single one of them and yet now I needed to –

Wait.

I caught sight of my name in Howard's file. Well, the name 'Edward'. Why…? Anthony Edward Stark. That was the name of – of Howard's son.

You better not have done that on my account, Howard. I was close to him but not to THAT point. No, it must be a coincidence, maybe his wife. Wow, he had finally settled down too? But the name must have been her idea.

I shook my head. It didn't matter. It's not like I was going to go searching for Howard's son. What would I tell him? Would tell any of the families of the Howling Commandos? As if any of them would believe me anyway…

Peggy. I refocused. What about Peggy?

Her file was nearby and, like all the others, it moved in front of me by itself. I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Okay, so what was –?

ALIVE?!

Peggy was – was still alive?!

My heart was hammering in my chest. Alive. She's – she's the only one but, at least there was SOMEONE that I knew! My eyes had been reading through the file but nothing was registering, my mind going through so many questions, possibilities, and –

It clicked then. She was in her 80s. Peggy was well in her 80s.

She was lived her life. Would she even remember me? Would she even want to see me? It had been so long and… and I couldn't save the man she loved.

Would she blame me…?

But… "Where – where does she live?" I managed to ask, my voice low and hoarse.

A location appeared on the window with an address in Washington D.C. My stomach knotted upon seeing that. If I remembered US geography, California is on the West coast and Washington D.C….

"How far from here?"

A line was drawn across a map of the continental US with a number in miles written over it. I hated being right sometimes. The distance was ridiculously far. There was no way I was going to make it all the way there, not on my own.

I leaned back against the bed, pulling my legs close as I stared at the files on the windows.

There was so much to process and yet, not much of any of it felt real… Part of me didn't want to believe that they were gone. Could I even trust what Jarvis showed me was correct or not? He hadn't lied to me and had agreed to keep the owner of this house in the dark about my gender but… Would he truly?

I breathed deeply not liking the situation.

Why would he lie to me, though? What did he have to gain from that? Part of me also began to doubt whether it truly was 2009 now or not. They could have lied to me about that. The man could have been a good actor. Pepper may have been in on it.

But…

But everything in that basement… What I remembered seeing was much more sophisticated than anything I had ever seen in 1945. Then, I could actually be in the future…

And that meant that – that what I had read could actually be true.

This was just so confusing…

I sat there, staring and staring, trying to figure out what could I do now, what to believe.

There were so many options but I felt like I didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle.

A puzzle I had never faced before.

The last time the Gate dumped me somewhere, I had someone who knew about me, who seemed to actually like me. This time…

Pepper tolerated me at best while the man seemed to want me out of his house and out of his life for good.

I sat there for what felt like hours which, to be fair, was if the sunrise was any indication. I didn't see the sun itself but the light illuminated what lay beyond the windows and…

I hadn't realized the house was RIGHT on the ocean.

Well, at least I had a nice view. That was at least one positive thing about the situation…

I sighed heavily, leaning my head back against the bed and massaging my face. I couldn't just sit there forever… I lowered my hand and glanced around the room, wondering what my next move would be. That was when I spotted the clothes on the dresser.

Shower.

A shower and getting out of these clothes sounded like a good start. Using the bed as support, I managed to pull myself up, shaking my right leg to get the circulation flowing once more.

Jarvis had said there was a bathroom attached to the room so I grabbed the clothes and hobbled in the direction of the door I guessed led to said bathroom.

Holy fuck…

I should have expected a more modern room but it still hit me upon seeing how elaborate and yet… how empty the area was. I began wondering if that man actually lived in this house or not: there was no sign of anything personal anywhere around here.

I pushed the door shut with my foot, dumping the clothes on the counter and began my sad attempt at removing the clothes on my back. It was one thing to be missing an arm but having one that hung uselessly on my side only managed to get in the way.

By the time I managed to get my undershirt off. I was huffing and I threw the pieces of clothing against the wall in frustration. Schmidt just had to go break my arm, didn't he?

I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror and slowly walked closer, eyeing my automail specifically. Even though it didn't look as damaged as it had been following my first fight with Greed, it was still useless… It was clearly broken at the elbow, the metal folded in some places as torn wires poked out of the joint. But... That didn't exactly explain why I couldn't move it. Frowning, I lifted my arm to check underneath, at the shoulder.

Well, there was the reason…

Some wires had torn there as well and even the top plate of metal was badly bent. Hence the useless arm… Real asshole. It must have been possible because of the super soldier serum. It was the only way he would have been able to break it that badly...

Great. Just fucking great.

I finally stopped looking at my automail, letting the arm drop back against my side, and I instead focused on the bruises that littered the rest of my body.

No wonder I had been in so much pain...

The question became though, what had the Gate done to me? If over 60 years had passed, why am I still young? Why are my injuries from the fight with the Red Skull still present? Had I been in a stasis for that long?

And why the fuck was I even _here_ to begin with?!

None of this made any sense and, considering the Gate hadn't told that man anything when I had arrived, I was even more in the dark on my being there then I had been in the 1940s.

Fucking Gate...

Wait a minute.

The Gate...

An idea came to mind. I had crossed the Gate again. I had seen it. Maybe...

I brought my left hand to my automail one, pressing them together as I held my breath.

Nothing.

I didn't feel any alchemic energy.

But...

I still touched the mirror, making sure but nothing changed. I still couldn't use my alchemy. Fucking great... Of course, it would have been too good to be true.

I took one last look at my automail, at how damaged it was before sighing heavily and turning heel, heading towards the shower. Maybe that will help clear my head so I could come up with a course of action for sorting through this mess.

Once I was actually in the shower though, I realized it really wasn't going to help me think of anything… My focus was once again on my automail but it was the fact that it was hanging uselessly on my side and I needed to remember how I had washed myself with only one hand in the past. I had not missed those days and I wasn't in the mood to relive them.

Not to mention all these bottles were such a pain in the ass to open!

When that ridiculous ordeal with the shampoo and soap was done, I needed to take several minutes to just lean my head against the tiled wall and let the hot water pour over me. And breathe, just breathe...

There was no point in going out there frustrated if I was going to continue staying here and even possibly ask that annoyance of a man to fix my automail.

Maybe I should have listened a little more when Mustang had wanted to teach me some diplomacy... It had not helped that he had mentioned my temper in the same conversation and I had stormed out. I knew it only proved his point but I had not wanted to hear him at that time.

I hadn't wanted to hear him a lot thinking about it… Was that regret I was feeling? I didn't want to dwell on that…

With a final huff, I shut the water and got out, already dreading putting on the new set of clothes with my useless arm.

But first...

I searched around the bathroom, finding a first aid kit under the sink along with the bandages I needed inside. I could at least bind my automail so it didn't swing around in awkward angles at the elbow.

Or fall apart even more.

Even when it was wrapped, it was still a struggle to fit my automail through a short-sleeved shirt and sweater – I was so glad Pepper got me a sweater on top of everything else – and I cursed one last time at getting my gloves back on. Damn uncooperative fingers!

With a huff, I left the bathroom and the room itself and began wandering around the house. The still minimalist and void of any personal touches house. Did that man even live here? Did anyone else?

Was that man even awake?

It was all too quiet as I continued on my way through the overly large house until I came across a kitchen. This was the biggest kitchen I had ever seen! There better be more than just that man who lived here! Who would need this much space? And for –

My stomach growled loudly. When had been the last time I had eaten? A long time ago technically but, before we moved out and walked towards the Hydra base. That made it probably close to a day by now, no?

Well, might as well grab something to eat while I was here.

I made a beeline to what I assumed was a more modern and updated refrigerator and opened the door, glancing inside. I blinked, not seeing much and recognizing even less in there.

Ok, how about the cupboards?

Those weren't much better…

I found some sliced bread and settled for that. At least I knew what that was. But now… I turned around, scanning the countertops. That. That must be a toaster. It was much fancier but it should work similarly to what I was used to.

Walking up to it, I studied it for a moment. It _should_ work similarly. What the hell? I inserted the bread and started the machine. Plate. Plate. I went to the cupboards where I vaguely remembered seeing some plates and, after a few tries, pulled one out.

Had there been butter in the fridge? Maybe. It was –

Crap.

I smelt it before I saw it. The toast was burning… I jogged over to the toaster and searched for anyway to stop it, to take the toast out. Come on, it must be one of these damn buttons, no? How about –?

The toast popped and I jumped back, not sure if I had done that or the toaster had decided it burnt the bread enough.

And it was burnt, nearly black all over.

Grumbling, I snatched the toast, tossing the slices on the plate as I searched for a knife. I would just need to scrape some parts off. It should be better after that.

Determined, I went in search of a knife as I filed this incident with all the others that differentiate 2009 with 1945 and even Amestris.

I almost patted the pocket I normally kept my journal in before remembering that I had left it in the room, under the mattress. For some reason, people apparently didn't need as big of pockets in the future because my small journal didn't fit in said pockets, not like it had in the ones of my red coat.

I finally found a butter knife and began the annoying job of scraping the toast with only one hand. I was almost tempted to flop my automail hand on the toast to keep I steady, to make at least some use of that damned –

"You burnt toast?"

I jumped, whirling around and pointing the knife at… at the man from yesterday. I must not have heard him come in because of my damn scraping… He raised an eyebrow as well as his hands, tilting his head to the side. "Not a good idea to give me a reason to kick you out. Drop the _butter_ knife, will ya?"

I frowned, eyeing him for a minute before lowering the knife. "Like you weren't already planning on kicking me out anyway," I grumbled, going back to my toast.

I faintly heard the man move behind me over the scraping but my focus was on the task I was doing. I didn't need to get myself irritated this early in the morning.

"Couldn't figure out you can make another one?" he asked and I stopped, glancing back at him with a frown.

"And do what with this one? Throw it out? I won't waste food for no good reason." I even added to my point by taking a large bite of the toast I had been working on.

He just rolled his eyes and kept walking, probably going to go get his own breakfast so I returned to my still burnt toast. What followed was just tense, awkward silence as we each did our own thing.

Apparently, his breakfast consisted of only coffee.

All while trying to catch a glimpse of my automail arm.

I had caught him glancing at it, as he tried to be discreet but he looked away anytime I turned in his direction, even frowning at him after several attempts.

All the while, we stayed quiet and I kept busy with the toast, trying to ignore his stares. However, when I didn't have anymore dry toast to eat, that was when I couldn't take his sneaky glances and the awkward silence anymore.

"What the fuck is it?" I snapped, whirling around to face him and I caught him lifting his gaze to meet mine. He had been looking at my automail _again_.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem offended by my tone nor my swearing. "Why is your metal prosthetic nor working now?" he wondered, pointing to my arm with his mug of coffee.

"My what?" I said sharply, playing dumb because I didn't want to him to know about my automail just yet.

"Your arm, your right arm that you haven't used since being unceremoniously dropped in my workshop yesterday. The same arm that you had clearly used in the 40s. So, did it break?"

I stayed quiet, frowning at him as I tried to come up with some type of excuse. Why did Schmidt have to go and _break_ my automail?!

"You can't lie. Firstly, it was broken before you landed in my workshop considering it was bent in a really horrible angle. Secondly, Jarvis already told me that your entire right arm is made of metal, without any organic matter present," explained the man, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter. "So, you're going to have to spill the beans."

My frown didn't lessen as I looked up at the ceiling, "Traitor," I mumbled towards Jarvis.

"Sir specifically asked about your arm," he replied matter-of-factly, reminding me of his condition to keeping my gender hidden. If this man asked, Jarvis would share the information.

"Of course, he'd tell me," said the man. "I created Jarvis."

I paused, going back to how I viewed Jarvis, on how he could just be a soul attached to the house. If I was going to keep my view then this man… He would be the one to have attached Jarvis' soul to the house.

Like how I had attached Al's soul to the armour…

I tried to push those thoughts aside as I turned around, reaching for the plate and knife, wanting to wash them on top of distracting myself at the same time. I didn't need to bring in homesickness and Al into my situation on top of everything else…

Sadly, because Jarvis somehow figured out my arm is completely metal. I couldn't just outright lie. I don't think this man would believe that Jarvis made the whole idea up anyway.

But... There was one thing that had been nagging me in the back of my mind since arriving. The Gate possibly wouldn't have done it but, knowing It's horrible sense of humour and how It liked to toy with me…

I needed to make sure.

I dropped the plate and knife in the sink for now before turning around and facing the man, frowning slightly. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you're not some Nazi or Hydra scientist? They didn't win the war, did they?" Then something clicked. "Is that why you don't like me?"

"No, the allies won. I don't like you for other reasons," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Reasons you won't share, I'm guessing."

"You truly are a _prodigy_."

"And you truly are an asshole," I snapped back. "If you think that attitude will make me share whatever is going on with my arm with you, you're delusional."

"And if you think you're staying here without sharing what's wrong with said arm, _you're_ the delusional one."

"Asshole," I grumbled.

"Brat," was his quick response.

My frown deepened as I took a deep breath. "You conveniently didn't answer my question."

"You asked a few, short stuff."

My fist clenched but I just managed to articulate, "Nazi or Hydra?"

"Neither," he replied with a shrug. "US citizen that's harbouring a 1940s brat that still inexplicably got dropped in my workshop."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"You're the one who won't answer the question about your arm."

"Because YOU don't like me for some fucking reason!"

"Hey! Enough, both of you!" Pepper had walked into the kitchen at that point, staring at both of us with wide eyes. "It's much too early to be arguing."

"He started it," replied the man.

"Bullshit! I was getting breakfast!" I cried out, throwing my hand in the air. "You –"

"I said enough!" cut in Pepper sternly. She eyed both of us before shaking her head and sighing. "I swear, children." The man looked ready to protest but Pepper sent him a look and he shut hit mouth. When she was sure he wasn't going to argue, she turned her attention on me, looking at me from head to toe. "It looks like your new clothes fit well."

I noticed the surprised frown on the man before focusing on Pepper. "Yes, thank you for getting them."

"It better not have been on the company card," cut in the man before Pepper could respond. What did he mean by card? On what card? Did it mean something different in the future?

"Don't ask and you won't know," she said with a small smirk.

He didn't look too pleased by that answer as he leaned back against the counter, taking a gulp of his coffee. Pepper just nodded in approval, turning back to me.

"Oh," her gaze had lowered and I grew a little weary on what she was looking at… "you don't need to keep your gloves on here. We're in the summer and, I don't know if it was a customary thing in the 1940s, but now, you don't need to wear them," she explained, motioning to said gloves on my hands and my stomach twisted in a very tight knot.

"Uh… Not customary. Just a personal choice," I replied carefully and I could see, from the corner of my eye, the man send me a disbelieving look.

"Yes, a choice," he put in and I frowned, already knowing what he was going to say, "one to hide the fact that your right arm, the one that you still haven't moved, is made out of metal and is broken."

"Did I mention that you're an asshole?" I asked, trying to ignore Pepper's wide-eyed stare at my right arm.

"I think you've mentioned it," he replied, looking a little too smug.

Oh fuck… Now I understood. He was going to expect Pepper to ask about my arm. And, considering she and I weren't at each others' throats, he probably also expected me to be honest with her. That was a low blow…

"What do you mean his arm is metal?" asked Pepper slowly and I resisted the urge to flip the man off. She waited a moment before turning in his direction, still seeming in disbelief. "Tony, what did you mean by that? Was there a metal attachment? To help him move his arm?"

Tony? Wow… I finally got a name! And he didn't look too pleased that she had called him that either which I took as a small victory in this mess.

"No," he said, motioning to my arm, "I mean that, at some point, that brat lost his arm and it was replaced by a completely metal one."

Pepper gasped, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at my right arm. "Is that true?" was her very soft question.

For the love of…

I sighed heavily, massaging my face with my left hand, trying to decide what to do. Should I tell them? Well, confirm what the man – what Tony already knew? What Jarvis had told him.

"Fine… Fine!" I grumbled, throwing my hand in the air before pointing a finger at Tony. "But I swear, if you even think of taking it, I will shove my foot so far up your ass –"

"Ed," cut in Pepper softly, looking a little displeased by the threat.

"It still stands," I continued. "You. Are. Not. Taking. It."

"Not taking it, fine," he murmured but he still pushed off the counter, taking a step closer.

I put pressure on my forehead, taking a deep breath. I can't believe I was doing this. I _just_ met these people. I hadn't shared my arm with Steve for MONTHS. Bucky even longer. The Howling Commandos had had no idea about for years! And yet, here I was.

Well, at least they didn't know about my leg yet…

"Fine, fine, fine," I mumbled. I bit the fingertips of my left glove and pulled it off before using my left hand to remove the other glove without hesitating. I knew, if I did hesitate, I wouldn't do it.

Even though the arm just flopped back to my side, Pepper and Tony still had a clear view of the metal hand. Pepper covered her mouth, gasping in shock as Tony's eyes widened, taking another step forward.

"How did it happen?"

"Who in the world built that?"

Their questions overlapped and I realized this might be a longer conversation than expected.

Maybe I should have slept longer…

* * *

_Thank you all again so much!_

_Let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3 - Automail

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and/or added this story to their alerts so far! I am truly touched by how much support it has received! I love you all!_

_Enjoy!_

_P.S. I have had a question about Ed's age and realized it had been a while since it was last mentioned! Ed is 19 now (her birthday was a month before losing Bucky). If any of you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll be glad to answer them! (Without giving away spoilers of course ;D)_

* * *

"How did it happen?"

"Who in the world built that?"

Even though their voices overlapped, I clearly heard both questions.

I took a shaky breath as the answers came to mind, throwing me back all too suddenly to Amestris and THAT night along with everything that followed.

The failed human transmutation.

Losing Al.

Losing my limbs.

Seeing that – that THING we had created.

The automail surgery.

That year of pain…

I leaned back against the counter, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to push back all those memories. I didn't need to be reminded of any of that at this point. However, pushing those specific bad memories away brought forth better ones. Namely those of who built my automail.

Winry.

Her blue eyes, her blonde hair, her bright smile.

Her throwing her wrench at my head.

Damnit. I truly did not need this, not with what was going on.

I took another shaky breath, focusing on the present, on this specific mess I was currently in as I tried to steady myself.

"It was a mistake, losing – losing my arm," I managed to reply, keeping my voice just steady enough and I hoped they didn't notice anything too off. "A – a friend made this one, before I ever met Dr. Erskine, long before."

I was gripping my automail arm at that friend, holding it close to me, pushing those memories back to try to mentally stay in this time, this _future_.

"Ed, I'm so sorry," whispered Pepper, her hand still covering her mouth and it almost looked like her eyes were glassy with tears.

"I don't need pity," I quickly said. I hated pity. I didn't want anyone to pity me. "That's the last thing I need."

Before Pepper could respond, Tony cut in. "Duly noted, no pity party for short stuff." I sent him a glare at the nickname but he ignored it. "Any idea how this friend of yours made that arm?"

I continued glaring at him for a moment longer before shrugging. "She tried telling me but I was never really good at biomechanics," I replied, gripping my arm even tighter.

Tony's eyes widened at my explanation and my frown deepened. He better not be surprised that it was a woman who built my automail. I couldn't believe sexism was still present over 60 years in the future! I opened my mouth, ready to give this asshole a verbal –

"You're not good at something? Really?" cut in Tony, sarcasm clear as day in his tone.

Oh… His reaction wasn't about Winry. It was about _me_. And, once more, it was about my intelligence. Fine, I may have been known for my brain but I didn't flaunt it, I didn't brag about it to strangers.

So why was Tony…? "You really do seem to have a problem with me, don't you?" I said, trying to come up with some reason as to why.

"We've established that already. Keep up, brat," he replied without lifting his gaze from my hand.

I groaned in frustration at his damn sarcasm and insults. The way he acted, he was probably worse than Mustang, the one from Amestris. And that was saying something…

Tony moved slightly, his hand outstretched, but he stopped a moment later, almost looking hesitant. He didn't move as we eyed each other for a moment and I also hesitated. Even though he had mentioned that he wasn't going to take my arm, could I actually trust him?

Well, if I was honest with myself, I didn't exactly have a choice either. If I expected Tony to eventually, somehow, fix my automail, he was going to have to at least look at it.

Besides, if he tried anything, I would still be able to kick his ass and run out of here.

I would need to remember to get my journal from the bedroom though.

With a roll of my eyes, I lifted my arm and dropped it on the island counter. I pushed up my sleeve to my elbow and the bandages around it, giving them a clear view of the automail.

Tony stepped forward as he stretched back to put down his coffee mug on the counter, nearly missing the counter top itself as his focus was purely on my arm. He slowly reached for and lifted it, already studying it intently. Even though my hand flopped around from time to time, Tony was surprisingly gentle with the arm itself.

It then hit me. Tony had known who I was and he had extensive knowledge on me considering what I had seen the previous day. However, he had no idea about my automail arm. It was NOT public knowledge apparently.

Then…? Did that mean…? Had Colonel Grumpy not said anything to anyone after the mission? Why?

Well, it wasn't as if I could ask him…

Was it because of the compromise he had offered? To only tell Howard? Had he finally? But, even if he had, what would have been the point anyway? I physically wouldn't have been able to show Howard my arm and Colonel Grumpy hadn't taken a good enough look at it to even begin to describe how it worked.

Did that mean the Colonel just didn't say anything?

I sighed. What was the point of even trying to figure that out? It wouldn't serve any purpose, especially not now. Everything that had happened was YEARS in the past…

As Tony kept studying my automail, murmuring to himself so fast and using terms I had never heard, I turned my attention to Pepper. She looked upset as she continued to stare at my arm, attempting to hide her emotions. It still showed in her eyes though.

She caught me staring and she straightened, breathing deeply as if she was reigning in what she was feeling.

"It is impressive, Ed," she finally stated, motioning to the automail. "Your friend did a good job."

"Thanks," I replied and I noticed Tony nod. I wasn't sure if he was agreeing with Pepper or if he was still talking to himself at that point.

"We're heading to the lab," he suddenly stated, already tugging my arm to get me to move towards the kitchen's exit.

"What –? Why?" I managed to ask, grasping my arm and pulling back.

"To get a scan of it so I can pull THAT apart and see how it works," he explained, giving my arm another few more tugs.

I glanced at Pepper, debating on whether or not I should follow, especially considering I didn't understand what Tony meant by 'scans' and taking apart the 'scan'.

Pepper and I shared a look before she sighed, turning towards Tony. "Be careful with his arm, will you?"

He shrugged but Pepper sent him a stern look.

"Fine, fine," he accepted reluctantly, giving my arm two more quick tugs. "Coming, short stuff?"

Well, it still stood: I could kick his ass and run away. I grumbled as I followed Tony out of the kitchen and towards the staircase from yesterday. Going down said stairs didn't seem as long as it had seemed and, when we got to the bottom, I had a moment to take a look at the whole 'lab' in the basement.

My previous impressions still stood. I barely recognized any of the equipment down there. At least some tools seemed familiar. And wires, bolts, screws. Those I knew.

That surprisingly made me feel slightly better: it wasn't a completely new world.

As I followed Tony through the glass door, I continued to look around and… I slowed down, spotting something that looked like metal, silver-coloured boots on one of the tables.

Those weren't prosthetics, were they? They were definitely too wide but, at the same time, I had no idea how prosthetics had changed 60 years in the future. I reached the boots, studying them carefully, noticing that the insides were hollow.

So they were boots. Why did people need to wear these types of boots in the future? It couldn't be part of their fashion or… was it? I was still wearing my boots from 1945 and Tony was just in socks. I even think Pepper was wearing heels from the sound I had heard when she walked. So why –?

"Hey, short stuff, over here," called Tony near the middle of the room. He was standing next to the only clear table around us as he motioned for me to hurry up. "Sweater needs to go," he said and I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed that I would need to struggle with putting the arm back into the sweater sleeve when we were done. I did what I was asked though, leaving me in just a short-sleeved shirt. "That too," he added, causing me to frown.

"No. It's staying on," I replied quickly, almost snapping. He may know about my arm but I was not in the sharing mood for everything else.

Tony gave me a look before rolling his eyes. "Fine, Jarvis could probably still get the scan done, right?"

"Yes, Sir," replied Jarvis, making me jump slightly. I needed to get used to him being everywhere and anywhere at any moment around this house. "A basic scan can be completed."

We were all quiet for a moment until Jarvis' voice rung out once more, "The scan is complete, bringing up the results, Sir."

Uh… Done? "What type of scan just happened?" I asked, glancing around. I didn't see any instrument that resembled an x-ray machine, something that I found out existed on this side of the Gate, in the 40s. I had thought that was what he had meant by scan but I guess I was wrong. Maybe the meaning changed in the future?

"A scan to get an idea of how that ridiculously heavy arm is even attached to your body and how it could work," replied Tony. So, he had noticed the weight. Of course, he would have considering how he had been handling it upstairs. I decided, though, to keep the fact that this was the lighter model to myself. Depending on how the following conversation was going to go, I may share it or not.

The table top it up at that point and I took a step closer as light shot up, forming a three-dimensional, translucent image of my automail arm, from the fingertips to the port. How…? This was amazing! I hadn't even felt anything and, in SECONDS, an image of my arm was in front of us! If this worked, Tony would even need to touch my arm to figure out what to do to fix what Schmidt had broken.

The future was definitely different then what I was used to.

Tony frowned as he moved closer to the image, his focus on my shoulder port. He used his hands, making a motion with them in a way that made the image grow larger and moving the port to the center. How did that even work?!

"What is this screwed into?" he asked, pointing to the screws at the port, the part connected to my body, glancing towards me.

I shrugged. "Bone, I guess." I didn't particularly want to dwell on it: I was reminded about that fact every time it rained or grew too humid anyway. Besides, I couldn't be too picky about how the arm was attached: as long as it worked, I was happy.

Tony stared at me for a moment, his gaze straying to my shoulder before he went back to the image, not saying anything else. He moved his hands around some more and the image followed, the image that was a pretty good replica of my arm.

My broken arm.

"Well, I have to say," began Tony, still focusing on the translucent arm, "apart from that clear break at the elbow and the damage at the shoulder, its still a well constructed prosthetic for the 40s. Your apparent friend did a good job, short stuff."

Even though it was a compliment to Winry, I still felt annoyed by the nickname. "Stop calling me that!" I snapped, going to cross my arms but changing my mind halfway. I forgot for a moment that I couldn't….

"Calling you what? Short stuff?"

"Yes! That!"

He paused, glancing back at me for probably a second before shaking his head. "Nah."

"Asshole," I grumbled, leaning against another table as he turned his attention back to the image.

He ignored my insult as he continued to study my arm. I had to admit, seeing it in the air like that, translucent and so easily manipulated, it was impressive.

If Winry had this technology to created her automail, her work would get even better! She would be able to design her prosthetics much differently and she would be able to get a clearer image of –

Something poked my right arm as I felt it move, brushing softly against my side. That was weird. Had I accidentally knocked into something? Was there –?

I jumped back, hitting the table painfully with my hip, a surprised cry escaping as I stared at... at... I don't even know what that was!

A large mechanical – mechanical _thing_ was positioned about a meter away and the top, the end that had a metal claw attached to it, lowered. And then it beeped, sounding – dare I say it? – almost sad.

"Dummy, you got adventurous," said Tony, barely glancing in my direction as if this _tower_ was a normal occurrence.

"Excuse me?" I managed to utter, shuffling a little further away from whatever that sentient mechanical tower was. It had gone specifically for my arm on top of everything else! Did it want to steal it?

Tony actually turned his head that time, eyeing me and the moving tower of metal. "Dummy, meet Short Stuff. Short Stuff, dummy."

"You're calling that 'dummy'?" I asked, pointing to the tower as its top part lifted, extending the metal claw in my direction and snapping softly two times.

"That's his name I made him. I named him."

I blinked at that explanation, glancing between Tony and the tower – Dummy – and back. Dummy beeped again, rolling a littler closer before lowering its top part towards my right arm.

"It's not trying to take my arm, is it?" I asked, weary of Dummy. Tony said he wouldn't take my arm but what he created could.

Tony eyed the tower and then myself, sending me a disbelieving look. "If I wanted your arm, I would have said so. Dummy just wants to say 'hi'."

I paused, eyeing Dummy. Well… I guess it couldn't hurt…

"Ok… Hi…," I began slowly, moving slightly forward. "Name's Ed, though." Dummy beeped again, the claw rotating a few times. "Uh… I'm not sure if I'm supposed to understand it," I said glancing towards Tony.

"He's probably interested in you arm," he replied off-handedly. "He's a robot, your arm could possibly be robotic in his lens so, ipso facto, he's interested."

Uh… "What's a robot, exactly?" I asked as I eyed Dummy's claw that was getting closer to my arm ever so slowly and my worry came back slightly. Why did my solution always seem to end up being fighting my way out of a situation? Because that was what came to mind on how to deal with Dummy if it tried anything.

Tony turned around, almost looking exasperated. "Robot. What Dummy is. What you is." That didn't make any more sense and my confusion must have shown on my face because he continued, "You truly don't know?"

"Sir, if I may, the term 'robot' only grew in popularity at the end of the 1940s, after his disappearance," explained Jarvis and I could tell Tony was not too pleased by the intervention.

"Thanks," he mumbled unhappily before motioning towards Dummy. "Long story short, wires and circuits run through him and he has, most of the time, a mind of his own."

I blinked again, trying to process that explanation and, by then, Dummy had reached my arm. Its claw slowly closed around my wrist, squeezing several times as he beeped some more.

"Do – do you understand it?" I asked Tony as I continued to watch the robot curiously poke at my arm.

"Vaguely. He only has a certain amount of beeps programmed. I can figure out the rest."

I nodded slowly, continuing to study Dummy and it seemed it was studying me as well. Whatever a robot was, it was the most advanced thing I had seen here so far. I had thought that table with the scan was impressive but, giving life to mere metal, without alchemy, without a soul…

My brain almost started to hurt.

"How – how did you make him?" I asked softly, noticing only after that I had changed pronouns with Dummy, no longer referring to him as 'it'.

Tony paused what he was doing, turning around and leaning against the table. "I told you, wires, circuits. Base is mainly metal. Gave him wheels so he could move. Solid basics. He's been with me for over 20 years so I guess solid is a good term."

My eyes widened. Over 20 years? So Tony was young when he built Dummy if I guessed he was in his forties now. "That's – that's impressive," I said, going back to the robot that was now amusing himself with poking my arm, following it as it swung from side to side.

"Yeah, until he decides to douse you with a fire extinguisher," mumbled Tony, almost to himself but I still heard him and cracked a smile at the image. "Remind me to let him to it to you next time, Short Stuff." Crap, he caught me.

"Promises," I replied, rolling my eyes. "So, you made Dummy and Jarvis. Any other robots hiding around?"

He shrugged. "Made you as well."

My head snapped back to him in confusion. "What?"

"Not 'you' you, the letter 'U'. Him." Tony pointed towards another robot hiding in the corner of the basement. I hadn't noticed him before but, the moment Tony mentioned his name, U moved slightly. "The only other one is him," he then motioned towards the robot next to me, "D-U-M dash E, and, of course, my A.I., not technically a robot considering he doesn't have a physically body, Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, aka JARVIS."

I paused, a thought coming to mind considering the new acquaintances I met. "Are there other humans around here? You seem to have a lot of robots."

He looked at me, confused and a little apprehensive. "Yes, quite a few humans in fact."

It was a valid question; he didn't need to act like that. "I've technically met more robots than humans," I explained. "So, having robots is common in the future?"

"Nope."

"Why not? You have two on top of JARVIS."

"Not everyone can build them. And there have been enough movies about robots taking over for people to be weary enough about them." That last part almost sounded mocking. I could somewhat understand why: if people believed something you created could become evil, it could sting…

"And people make those movies because robots have tried taking over?" I wondered, thinking about the movies I had seen. I had a feeling those probably got modernized as well…

Tony scoffed, shaking his head. "People's fantasies get the better of them."

The future truly is something it seemed… Because, looking at Dum-E next to me or U in the corner, neither of them looked like they actually take over the world. JARVIS though, I glanced up at the ceiling, thinking it over. He seemed pretty smart.

"Well, for that arm of yours," began Tony, catching my attention as he swiped at the image, making it spin around several times, "if there's any hope of figuring out what makes it tick, you'll need to take it off."

I stiffened at his suggestion.

"I know, I know, you made me promise not to take your arm," he grumbled, leaning against the table, rolling his eyes. "But, unless you want to walk around with a useless appendage for however long you plan on mooching off me in my own home, you're going to need to let me look at it."

My entire body was tense as I continued to stare between Tony and the image of my arm. I had thought that just doing the scan, that the image he already had would be enough. But… I gripped my arm, getting thrown back to the France mission, to when Hydra, to when Zola almost took my arm.

And the nightmares that had followed that mission.

Could I truly just let this stranger take my arm? To possibly fix it? Would he? Or…?

"You're overly protective of your arm, you know that right?" said Tony, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I took a shaky breath, slowly releasing my grip. "I had to be," I replied, eyeing said arm carefully.

"So, I'm guessing not many people knew about it?"

I shook my head, trying to control my breathing. "Dr. Erskine, when – when he found me and then, St – Steve knew after –"

"Oh, of course, America's _golden boy_ knew about it," muttered Tony with a huff and I stopped. That tone. It was the same that he used when he had been angry with me for reasons I still didn't know. But now… He wasn't only mad at me but at Steve as well. But… why? According to files, we had both gone missing the day of the fight against the Red Skull.

Had something we had done back in the 1940s somehow affected Tony in the future? Had maybe affected _something_ negatively?

Or was he truly on the opposite side? No matter what he had said.

So… What was to do? I needed my arm fixed but giving it up was not sitting well with me at all at the moment.

"Give me a week," I finally stated. "A week to decide whether I let you look at me arm or not." That would give me the time to determine whether or not I could actually trust Tony. He may not have been as much of an asshole during our conversation, but, bringing up Steve seemed to hit a nerve. Add that to how he reacted when I had arrived, I needed to determine where Tony stood.

"Fine, fine," he muttered, waving me off. "I can keep busy with another project. Now shoo."

The image of my arm vanished as Tony walked away from the table, heading towards the boots. He caught me staring and actually motioned me away, towards the stairs.

Great… Asshole was back.

* * *

_Thank you once again to everyone! Let me know what you thought!_


	4. Chapter 4 - A Visitor

_Thank you all so much for all your support for this story! It truly means a lot! I hope it continues to live up to your expectations!_

_To everyone still curious to know when this story takes place in the MCU timeline, I hope this chapter answers your questions! :)_

_Enjoy! :D_

_Previously: _

_So… What was to do? I needed my arm fixed but giving it up was not sitting well with me at all at the moment._

_"Give me a week," I finally stated. "A week to decide whether I let you look at me arm or not." That would give me the time to determine whether or not I could actually trust Tony. He may not have been as much of an asshole during our conversation, but, bringing up Steve seemed to hit a nerve. Add that to how he reacted when I had arrived, I needed to determine where Tony stood._

_"Fine, fine," he muttered, waving me off. "I can keep busy with another project. Now shoo."_

_The image of my arm vanished as Tony walked away from the table, heading towards the boots. He caught me staring and actually motioned me away, towards the stairs._

_Great… Asshole was back._

* * *

_5 days left before deadline_

I rolled onto my back on the bed, sighing heavily as I stared at the ceiling. I had spent most of the day, like the other one, going through the 'tablet' Pepper had left for me. My brain was reeling with how much information I had read up on since I had started.

So much had changed…

I had thought going from Amestris to the 1940s here had been something of a challenge but I had been wrong.

The end of the 20th century and now, the 21st century, ha advanced so much faster than anything I could have expected or even imagined.

Just this tablet! Information on nearly everything in the world was right at my fingertips! I never would have thought something like that would be possible! I was used to going to the library, getting my information from books. I was thankful that those still existed but, having an instant access to anything you needed was beyond practical.

I still missed going to them though… Since I had arrived here, I hadn't left the property and I didn't think it would be a good idea to just venture off either.

I wouldn't know where to go…

I flopped my head to the side, staring out the window, squinting at the sunset over the ocean. I had to admit, it was a nice sight: the sun half gone over the horizon, the sky coloured in hues of red, orange, and pink.

At least sunsets were the same no matter where I was.

But, I had never seen one over such a large body of water before arriving here.

I continued to lay on the bed as the sun disappeared over the horizon and I went over once more whether or not I could trust Tony with my automail arm or not.

On one hand, I needed my arm repaired and Tony seemed to have the technology and the knowledge necessary to figure out how my automail worked. From the robots and JARVIS that he had built, he was gifted. Also, the Gate dropped me with Tony specifically. There must have been a reason for that!

But…

There was still the fact that Tony didn't like me. Our conversation in the lab the other day had gone well for the most part. That is, until I mentioned Steve. For a reason Tony still refused to share, he did NOT like Steve or myself.

How was I supposed to trust someone who harbored some unknown negative feelings towards me?

I groaned, not liking the situation I was in and how complicated it had become compared to the first time the Gate had dropped me on this side.

"I'm getting no where," I mumbled, sitting up and glancing around.

My stomach decided at that moment to growl loudly. Well, that settled what I was doing next. I got off the bed and headed towards the door, thinking about what I could eat from what I had last seen in –

"Miss, I would suggest waiting before moving around the house," stated JARVIS, making me jump in surprise, stopping a meter from the door.

"And why is that?" I asked, glancing up at the ceiling.

"A visitor has arrived and it would be prudent to not make your presence known."

A visitor? I think that was the mistake he made. JARVIS told me NOT to do something so… I was going to do it.

"I'll be careful," I replied, opening the door and peeking down the corridor.

"Miss –"

"I'm hungry and I want to at least see or hear _someone_ else," I countered, walking down the corridor. I was almost sure that, if he could, JARVIS would have sighed at my actions. At least he hadn't locked the door before I was able to leave the room…

As I shuffled through the house, I began hearing voices coming from the living room. I slowed down, hearing Pepper's exasperated sigh near the end.

"He isn't answering," she said with a hint of frustration. "He must be busy. I'll go down and get him."

"No worries, Pepper," replied a man. "We both know how he is: he's always working."

"I'll be right back."

I heard her heels click away and I slowly moved down the corridor, curious as to who was here to see Tony specifically. Since I had arrived, I had only seen Pepper come and go. Had others been here while I was in my room or asleep? A part of me doubted that.

I heard the man moving and I wondered where he was going. Maybe a little –

A blue rectangle that looked too much like the screen of the tablet I had been using appeared on the wall next to me, at eye level and I stopped. Was there no part of this house that didn't have anything technologically integrated into it? There was a message on said screen and I squinted, leaning closer.

'You will be seen if you get any closer, Miss.'

JARVIS…

I glanced up at the ceiling and mouthed out, "Fine," hoping I looked as exasperated as I felt. I made a face just to be sure, just as the man began playing the piano.

Ok… He must know Tony well enough to not only be visiting but to also use the stuff in this house. Who the hell was he?

A few minutes later, I heard Pepper return. "He's coming," she said, sounding tired. What did Tony do this time?

"Thank you, Pepper," said the man. "He was working, I'm guessing?"

"Always."

"Anything interesting?"

Pepper's footsteps slowed almost unperceptively before her previous pace picked up again as she answered, "I don't particularly pay attention to that."

The man hummed before continuing to play the piano and it sounded as if Pepper went to the couch, with her… small computer. Laptop? I could hear her typing as they both waited. That had been an… interesting conversation. Something had made Pepper hesitate. Was it what Tony was working on?

Maybe listening in on this conversation would answer some of my questions! All of waited and I was almost tempted to sit down. Who knew how long it would take Tony to come up from his lab?

"How'd it go?" speak of the devil. Tony was climbing the stairs but the man hadn't stopped playing the piano. "It went that bad, huh?"

What went bad? And how did he know that? The man hadn't said anything…

"Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad," answered the man and my stomach growled at the mention of pizza. The problem with this situation was that I couldn't get to the kitchen without crossing the living room so getting anything to quiet my stomach was out of the question. I was going to have to wait it out and hope it was worth it.

"Uh-huh. Sure doesn't," said Tony, not sounding convinced. There was a pause followed by an, "Oh boy."

"It would have gone better if you were there," stated the man. Why hadn't he stopped playing the damn piano?!

"Uh-huh," replied Tony with finality. "You told to lay low. That's what I've been doing. I lay low and you take care of it all."

Partway through Tony's rambling, the man had finally stopped playing that piano and was moving. I, however, got curious about why Tony needed to lay low. What had happened? Was that why he hadn't left the house since I arrived? Why no one else had shown up? How long had it been before my arrival?

And what was this man supposed to take care of?

"Hey, come one," said the man. "In public. The press. This was a board of directors meeting."

A what? And why would Tony need to avoid the press? I paused, remembering that it wasn't the first time the press had been mentioned. Tony hadn't wanted to press to know I had landed in his house. Was Tony a public figure?

"This was –?" This was a board of directors meeting?"

Tony, of course, knew what that meeting was and he sounded slightly concerned. If this meeting had been so important, shouldn't someone have told him?

And, if I understood correctly, if this man was left in charge of… of whatever he was in charge of, shouldn't he have been the one to tell Tony? Or at least tell Pepper so she could relay the information?

"The board is claiming you have post traumatic stress. They're filling an injunction," explained the man.

Almost none of those words meant anything to me… What board? What is 'post traumatic stress'? And what the fuck was an injunction?!

"A what?" asked Tony in disbelief.

"They want to lock you out," explained the man. Ok, that was probably what injunction meant. But why would they want to lock Tony out? And lock him out of what? There seemed to be a big piece of the puzzle I was missing in all this…

"Why?" snapped Tony. "'Cause the stocks dipped 40 points? We knew that was going to happen."

Stocks…?

"56 and a half," cut in Pepper as I heard her still continue to type away at her laptop.

"It doesn't matter." Tony sounded impatient at that point. Not that I necessarily blamed him… "We own the controlling interest in the company."

Oh, that was new information. That was maybe what they meant about stocks. So…? They owned a company? Or was it Tony and the man? Or just Tony? Because I gathered that Pepper worked for Tony so she didn't seem to be a part of the decision making. This was beyond confusing considering I didn't understand what most of the terms they were using actually meant…

"Tony, the board has rights too. They're making a case that you and your direction isn't in the company's best interest." The man's voice appeared calm but… Something didn't exactly sit right with me. He almost sounded condescending. Tony may be many things but stupid wasn't one of them. The man didn't need to speak to him like that.

"I'm being responsible!" replied Tony quickly on the defense. "That's a new direction for me – for the company." That last part was stuttered out and I was actually surprised. What had happened? Why did Tony want to change? To be more responsible?

And… how had he been before? I shuddered at that though…

"I mean me on the company's behalf," continued Tony, trying to sound more confident. "Being responsible for the way that…" The rest of the sentence died, tapering off to nothing and I inwardly cursed. Whatever he was about to say may have helped me understand what the hell was going on! "This is great."

"Oh, come one, Tony. Tony!" The man seemed to be calling out and I guessed Tony was walking away.

The man and Pepper may not have believed him… About the new direction, about being more responsible, for himself and for the company. Well… If they knew him, maybe he didn't change easily. But… That didn't mean Tony didn't deserve a chance to prove that he could.

Deserve a chance…

"I'll be in the shop," said Tony, his voice getting fainter.

"Hey! Hey! Hey, Tony, listen. I'm trying to turn this around," explained the man, his voice growing softer and fainter, so much so that I needed to strain myself to hear the rest of the conversation. "But, you gotta give me something. Something to pitch them. Let me have the engineers analyze that. You know, draw up some specs."

I stiffened. Take a look at what? Had – had Tony or Pepper mentioned something about my arm to this man? Had I fucked up showing it to them?

"No, absolutely no," replied Tony with finality. His tone had me untensing in surprise. Could…?

"It'll give me a bone to throw the boys in New York," said the man, sounding almost desperate.

"This stays with me. That's it, Obie. Forget it."

"Alright, well, this stays with me, then," stated the man, Obie – I guess that was what his name was… There was a moment of pause before he continued, "Go on. You can have a piece. Take two."

"Thank you," replied Tony, his voice different than before. What exactly was the dynamic between the two of them?

"You mind if I come down there and see what you're doing?"

"Goodnight, Obie!" Tony's voice grew fainter as he said that and I heard footsteps going down the stairs.

I guess that was the end of that conversation.

I heard Obie shuffle around and something getting placed on the table. Oh, maybe it was the pizza. Unless there had been something else in the living room that they hadn't verbally mentioned. Well, if it was the pizza, I could maybe grab a slice if Obie left the box here.

"He truly is in the creation zone, isn't he?" asked the man and Pepper finally paused in her typing.

"He's been keeping busy from what I've gathered," she replied after a moment.

That was a vague response. Obie truly was fishing for any information he could get and he wasn't being as subtle as he probably thought he was. He had pestered Tony and now Pepper for the second time.

Did that mean they didn't trust him? Was there a reason not to?

And why was it that, every time I got a little closer to understanding what was going on, something happened and I ended up even more confused than before?

"Hopefully coming up with something that will help the company," said Obie with a sigh.

"One could hope."

"Alright, I won't keep you, Pepper. I'll just make a pit stop and let you enjoy your evening."

"Thank you."

I huffed. I wasn't going to get anymore information it seemed. But, at least I was going to be able to get some food and not hide in the…

I then spotted another message on the wall.

'Move.'

Oh shit. I realized then that Obie was heading in my direction. I may not have cared at first but now, not knowing if this Obie character was trusted by Tony or Pepper, I didn't particularly want to meet him.

Especially if what he wanted to see, to let the engineers take a look at what, may or may not be my arm. I was not going to take that chance. I spun around, making a beeline for my room, hearing Obie's footsteps not far behind me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

I slid into the darkened room, dashing on the other side of the bed and crouching down, falling on my ass and pressing my back against the bed. Obie's footsteps slowed as they got nearer to the door and I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

Don't come in! Don't!

The footsteps stopped close, too close, and I was tempted to hide under the bed. However, knowing my right arm was hanging loosely at my side, I realized moving it would make too much noise and I wouldn't be able to manoeuvre myself fast enough to pull it off.

I settled for staying as still as possible.

Come one, keep moving!

It felt like forever before Obie finally continued down the corridor but I didn't celebrate just yet. I stayed where I was, quiet and unmoving. Obie would need to pass by the same way to leave so…

I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I closed my eyes as I waited, straining to hear him pass again. I had wanted to go over what I had learned but, I also didn't want to miss the sound of Obie's footsteps.

Too bad I didn't have his full name or I might have been able to search for some information on him, to see if I could get any information on him.

Or… It could end up like with Tony and Pepper. Even though I didn't know Tony's full name, I had Pepper's from the day I landed here. However, even tough I tried searching for her on the tablet nothing came up.

Unlike when I tried with any of the Howling Commandos. Contrary to what JARVIS had shown me, there hadn't been as much information available on the tablet, on what the public could look up.

So what made Tony so special? Why couldn't I find anything on Pepper?

Why were there SO many damn questions?!

It was then that Obie passed by once more and I tensed, holding my breath. Just like before, he slowed down at the doorway, as if he was looking inside the –

Fuck!

His footsteps entered the room, heading in my direction. Why? Why couldn't you just leave the house?!

I began seeing a vague reflection on the windows in front of me and I hoped he hadn't noticed mine… He was a taller, heftier man with a thick beard and a bald head and I was almost relieved to notice his focus was on the bed and not on me. He had slowed down, reaching for –

Damnit! My tablet!

I had left it on the bed when I had decided to head off to get food!

Obie picked it up, turning it over, frowning at it before looking around the room. Please don't tell me I had left other things laying around…. And, if I did, that it was too dark in here to notice them.

"Sir, your driver is ready," stated JARVIS, making Obie and myself jump in surprise.

"Yes, thank you. I'll be heading out," replied the man, turning heel, my tablet still in his hands. Not good!

"And you may leave the tablet with Miss Potts," added JARVIS, making Obie pause. "She had left it here earlier today."

"Of course," he replied but I sensed the hesitation in his voice.

He may not have believed JARVIS but, at the same time, would he think JARVIS was capable of lying? Besides, the A.I. seemed to be able to see everything in this house so Obie wouldn't be able to leave with the tablet either.

I waited until Obie's footsteps faded away and waited several minutes more just to be safe: I didn't need another close call!

I had just wanted to eat…

When I figured I had waited long enough, I began hearing heels hitting the floor, getting louder as they neared my room. Please let her be alone.

"Ed? Are you here?"

Oh… That sounded promising. I slowly peeked my head over the bed, spotting Pepper standing at the doorway, my tablet in her hands.

"He's gone?" I asked, shifting onto my knees and straightening.

She nodded, entering the room and flipping the switch, opening the lights. I blinked as I stood and stretched.

"Were you behind the bed the entire time?" she asked, handing over the tablet.

I debated for a moment whether to tell her or not that I had witnessed their entire conversation. On one hand, they may be more cautious about what they discussed from here on out. On the other, maybe I could get some clarification on what I had heard and maybe even have at least a few of my MANY questions answered.

"No," I finally answered, flopping onto the bed. "I got hungry and headed towards the kitchen as you went to get Tony downstairs."

Her eyes widened at that explanation as she slowly took a seat not far from me on the bed. "Did you cross the living room?"

I shook my head. "I stayed hidden like JARVIS suggested. But… I did hear the whole conversation."

Pepper took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of course, you couldn't just go back to your room and wait it out," she mumbled, shaking her head. "Alright, fine. Try not to eavesdrop again?"

"I can't make any promises," I replied with a shrug. Especially considering I didn't have much information on anything going on in this house… "I didn't understand most of what was going on anyway." Pepper may have tried to hide it but she almost looked relieved by those words. "But who was that man? He seemed to know Tony well enough."

She hesitated a moment before answering. "Obadiah. He was a friend and business partner of Tony's father. Now he helps Tony."

"With what business?"

"It's not my pace to tell," she replied softly, shaking her head.

I sighed heavily, leaning back and laying on the bed. I didn't feel like I was any closer to figuring out what was going on… Not only do more questions keep appearing but I haven't exactly been able to get clear answers either.

"Are you still hungry?" wondered Pepper suddenly.

I turned my head, glancing at her. "Always."

That got a smile from her as she stood. "Good. I can drive you and we can get some take out. I haven't eaten either."

I blinked, confused as I sat up. "To get some what?"

"Take out. Fast food." Nope, those words didn't exactly ring any bells for me and the confusion must have been clear on my face. "Anything they can prepare quickly or we can take to eat here. Like hamburgers and fries, pizza, Chinese food. Anything in particular that you'd like?"

My stomach growled as she listed the food and I nearly said 'yes' to all of them before my mind caught up with what was happening. "But, I don't have any money to pay for the food…," I said softly, a little irritated. I had remembered what Tony had said about me 'mooching' off of him and it didn't sit well with me.

Well, it didn't sit well AFTER I searched for the meaning of that word.

Pepper, however, waved me off. "Nonsense. Of course, you don't have any money but it doesn't mean I can't buy you some food. I have an idea, we can pick up some food and go eat it near the pool outside. It's a nice enough evening."

Honestly, even if my stubbornness on not wanting Pepper to pay for me was pushing me to refuse, just the idea of heading outside the walls of this house outweighed any stubborn guilt I could have. Besides, maybe while eating, I could get some clearer answers.

One could hope.

"Hamburgers it is then," I stated, bouncing off the bed.

I heard a faint chuckle from Pepper as she stood and headed towards the door.

As much as I was excited to get food, a part of me was nervous about seeing what the future looked like outside these walls.

* * *

Well, whatever I was expecting or imagining did not live up to anything I was physically seeing.

Honestly, I don't even know how long we were in the car for but, after I finally pulled my eyes away from the dashboard, I was transfixed by everything outside the windows.

And everything was so damn BRIGHT!

Just the amount of cars on the road had probably doubled, even tripled and there were so many different types. So many choices and possibilities, small and big with multiple colours too.

And those buildings… When I had arrived in New York with Dr. Erskine. I had thought those skyscrapers were tall and impressive. Even though these ones didn't seem as tall, they were so much more… sleeker? They had more metal and glass integrated into them, most with less details than what I was used to.

"Any particular hamburger you'd like, Ed?" asked Pepper as she drove down the busy street.

I couldn't pull my gaze away from the passing shops, confused by some of them as I thought over the question. "There's more than one type?" I managed to ask as I glanced back, eyes wide. That was not what I thought it was… was it? There are shops for THAT now? How? WHY?!

"Yes, actually Normal hamburger. You can get a cheese burger. One with bacon. One with chicken instead, or fish. Many different choices actually," she explained and I nodded, thinking it over.

"Normal, cheese, and bacon sound good," I replied as I stared at a group of teenagers crowding at a corner. Well, I had to admit, the fashion styles have changed a lot since the 1940s. Just like cars, there seemed to be more choices and there was definitely a lot more colours available.

"Alright, a hamburger with all that, coming up."

"I actually meant one of each." I finally glanced towards Pepper as her eyes widened slightly. "I said I was hungry," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

"No, no worries. I forgot about teenagers and their insatiable appetite," she replied, still looking a little stunned.

"I'm 19, technically an adult in most countries."

"Still a teen," was her quick response.

I couldn't help but smile at that as I turned back to look out the window. It was at least a step up from being called a 'kid' for so long. Further ahead was a brightly lit building with a line of people just outside. "What's that place?"

Pepper took a moment, probably taking her eyes off the road to scan around her as I stared in surprise at what the people in line were wearing. On top of having more colours, apparently fashion had drastically… shortened…

I felt my face flush once more as I stared at the VERY short, skin-tight skirts and dresses the women were wearing along with the highest heels I had ever seen.

"It's a club," said Pepper, making me jump, pulling my gaze away from the line of people. "That brightly lit building is a club."

"And that is?"

"Where people go to have fun, drink, dance, that sort of thing."

I slowly slouched in my seat at that explanation. "Oh…" A modern dance hall. I knew those well… Sadly the person I usually went with to those… "Ok, thanks."

If Pepper noticed my change in attitude, she thankfully didn't say anything.

* * *

Honestly, it was a struggle heading back to the house with a lap full of food that engulfed my sense of smell the moment it the bags entered the car. My mouth didn't stop watering and I just wanted to get back to eat!

Once Pepper parked, I followed her around the front of the house, towards the back where a large patio and pool were set up. She took a seat on one of the lounge chairs, pulling a small metal table closer. I took the other chair, placing the bags of food on the table between us.

"Thanks, Pepper," I said as I began pulling out what we had ordered.

"My pleasure. Enjoy," she replied, opening her only hamburger while I placed my three in front of me, choosing one randomly to start with.

Well, I had to admit, the food in the future tasted SO MUCH BETTER!

I nearly scarfed down one hamburger and was halfway through the other one – the bacon one! – when Pepper cleared her throat, catching my attention.

"Had you eaten since this morning?" she asked, watching me with wide eyes.

I paused in my eating, shrugging. "I forgot."

She bit back a sigh, staring up into the night sky. "Between the two of you… I'll have JARVIS remind you tomorrow," she added, shaking her head. "I can't have both of you skipping meals on my watch."

Both…? Well, the other person that I could think about was Tony. "Why does he skip meals?"

"Why do you?"

"I was busy," I replied, taking a bite of my hamburger. "There's so much to catch up on in the last 60 years…"

Pepper nodded, lowering her hamburger, eyeing it carefully. "It's still hard to process for me, I can't imagine for you," she said softly.

I shrugged once more, finishing my hamburger and grabbing the last one. As I unwrapped it, I swung my legs onto the lounge chair, leaning back and staring up into the night sky. "We can't see as many stars now can we?" I asked as I took a slow bite.

I saw Pepper look up from the corner of my eye. "Light pollution, actual pollution. It blocks them out sadly."

I nodded, continuing to eat, as I studied the night sky. "Things have changed… Just being able to see the stars is just one of many but I need to adapt, to figure out what to do."

"If you need any help, let me know," added Pepper and I turned my head towards her, thinking over that offer.

I may or mot not get a straight answer from her but the least I could do was try asking my question and see what comes out of it. "Do you trust Tony?"

She looked surprised and I didn't particularly blame her. "Yes, I do."

"Then why didn't you believe he was changing, to be more responsible?"

Her mouth hung open for a moment and I raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"It… It wasn't that I didn't believe him," she began slowly. "I want to, I truly do. It… I've known him for many years and I had rarely seen him be responsible."

"But…?" I sensed there was more to this story and I wanted – needed – to get more information.

"But, since he came back. He's changed. He may actually be more responsible but I'll need to see it to believe it."

Damn… It didn't exactly help my situation… I mentally noted that he had gone somewhere that had changed him before deciding to just outright ask the biggest question that has been nagging me for the past 2 days. "If you were in my situation, would you trust him with your broken arm?"

There was a glint in Pepper's eyes, as if she knew something more then she had shared. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about your arm with Tony."

I frowned. That didn't provide me with more information as to WHY I could trust him. Maybe it was because he had built those robots? That he was a good mechanic?

Pepper's trust only went so far considering I barely knew her as well…

"Fine. I'll think about it," I mumbled, going back to staring at the sky. "Thanks, Pepper."

"Anytime, Ed. Hopefully the two of you will eventually get along."

I only shrugged, going back to my hamburger.

* * *

_Thank you all again! Hopefully this chapter cleared up when Ed landed in the MCU! Let me know what you thought or if you have any questions!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Trusted List

_Thank you all so much for the reviews / favorites and/or alerts this story has received so far! It is truly INCREDIBLE and AMAZING the amoutn of support you guys are giving me! I love you all and I truly hope that this story continues to live up to your expectations! _

_Enjoy!_

_Previously:_

_Ed asked to be given a week to decide whether or not she would trust Tony with her automail arm. During that week, she came across Obadiah when he returned from his trip to New York City and a meeting with the board of directors. Even after her talk with Pepper, Ed still didn't know who she could trust in this future timeline._

* * *

_4 days until deadline_

I was sitting at the kitchen island, early in the morning, halfway through my breakfast. My notebook lay open in front of me on a new page as I taped it with my pen. Even though I found a writing… function? – application, I think it was called – on the tablet that lay not too far away, I wasn't comfortable enough with the flat keyboard to actually do anything with it.

Besides, a good pen and paper still beat any technology they created in this day and age.

Also, I could still write my notes in code. I had gathered that JARVIS could see nearly everything in this home and so, he could probably read what I was writing. I could just hope he couldn't crack my code.

I took a large bite of my toast – that I didn't burn this time around! – and went back to the blank page in front of me.

On the list I was going to create on whether or not I was going to trust Tony.

On the top of the list, I had:

_1) Doesn't like me or Steve. Reasons unknown._

That might be the biggest negative in this whole situation. How do I trust him when he doesn't like me? Why would he even bother fixing my arm if he didn't seem to be able to stand seeing me or being in the same room as me? But… sometimes it was better. Sometimes it wasn't.

I shook my head as I took another bite of my toast. Just the facts for now. I wrote down the next item on the list.

_2) Is good with technology, robots, and everything mechanical._

There was no denying that point considering everything downstairs. During my research with the tablet, I had searched for what they call 'robotics' and, even though some people had created robots… The ones I saw were not at the same level as Dum-E or U.

Even the artificial intelligences seemed to be just programmed voices that somewhat answered your questions. JARVIS was pretty much a sentient being.

I still didn't completely rule out soul-bonding as a possibility, even though I still couldn't perform alchemy. There could be another explanation as to how it could be done.

_3) Owns/partially owns a company. Where did Obadiah fall in this?_

That whole point took some research. Well, a lot of research… After my chat with Pepper, I had taken the tablet and spent a good part of the night looking up all those terms I hadn't understood. And each unknown term led to more unknown ones in a series never-ending Russian doll… Opening one led to another and sometimes more than one, reminding me over and over again of how much had changed in the last 60 years I was stuck in the Gate…

Just the term 'board of directors' that had come up during the conversation with Obadiah. After multiple Russian doll searches, I finally gathered that that board, in a nutshell, set a direction for a company. A direction that apparently Tony hadn't wanted to go in or had decided without their approval.

Hence why they were trying to lock him out of any more decision making.

Which brought on the 4th point.

_4) Tony wanted to be more responsible. For him and for the company._

So… A part of me wanted to believe that something bad was happening at the company and that Tony wanted to change that. Because, if it had been the reverse, #4 wouldn't even exist. If Tony had made a morally bad decision for the company, they would still want to lock him out. But, trying to be more responsible… Tony was probably making a morally GOOD decision that most likely was negatively affecting his company.

What that decision was… I didn't even have the slightest clue…

And then it made even less sense that, with them wanting to lock him out, Tony was staying home, avoiding the press. Shouldn't he be trying to fight this lock out? Or did he believe that they couldn't do it?

Was… was he that important to the company?

I leaned back, taping my pen on the page some more, staring up at the ceiling. I wasn't too sure if his list was helping or not because it seemed to be bringing out more questions than answer…

On top of everything, this situation brought forth what had happened in Amestris, how the government had become corrupt, namely with the higher ups. Would this be a similar situation? The board of directors being corrupt? So… Where would Obadiah land in all of this? Would he be on Tony's side or the board of director's side?

Or, better yet, was he on his own side?

Either way, I was getting a gut feeling that I didn't exactly like him.

"You're up early. What? Couldn't sleep?"

Tony's voice made me lower my head and I watched him as he went through the kitchen, directly towards the coffee pot.

"I managed to sleep. Unlike you it seems," I replied noticing how he was in the same clothes as yesterday, his hair a mess.

"You're assuming, Short Stuff," he replied, grabbing a mug. "Not good to assume." He went ahead and began pouring his coffee, his back to me. "Not good to eavesdrop either."

Fuck…

"Who told you?" I asked, already glancing up at the ceiling. I was pretty sure it was JARVIS because Pepper had gone home after our dinner outside. Or… maybe she had called him… Fucking great. I still didn't know who to trust!

Tony just waved me off. "Doesn't matter. You were eavesdropping on a conversation that didn't concern you. A good thing Obie didn't see you or that would have been a fiasco in itself."

"Why? Don't you trust this Obadiah person?"

That seemed to hit a nerve with Tony as he stiffened, eyeing me carefully. "I just didn't want to explain why you're magically here. He'd know who you are."

"You didn't answer the question," I stated, frowning.

"Funny, you have he same tendency," he snapped back. "I'll be in the lab, don't come bother me."

And he just walked away without another word.

I eyed his retreating back for a moment before going back to my list.

_3) Owns/partially owns a company. Where did Obadiah fall in this? Apparently, he is close to Tony but Tony is still hiding things from him. So… trust issues?_

This will be an interesting week.

* * *

_3 days until deadline_

_5) Post traumatic stress. What had happened? Reason for trying to be more responsible?_

I had needed to do some research on that term. And… the description hit VERY close to home. Too close…

I think it had hit so close that it may have triggered the damn nightmare that woke me up in the middle of the night… Even now as I sat on the bed, staring out onto the dark ocean, I couldn't shake the images from my mind.

And it hurt. Physically and emotionally…

I had been back on the Red Skull's airplane. Steve had been there. So had Bucky.

Contrary to what had actually happened, we were losing against Schmidt. Steve lay unmoving against the structure that had held the blue cube, bloodied and bruised. His shield had been split in two pieces, tossed on the ground further away.

It was laying at Bucky's feet where he was fighting with Schmidt. He had been struggling, trying to push the Red Skull off but he kept getting hit. Over and over and over again.

And I couldn't move. I only watched, unable to help, unable to call out.

Useless.

I had woken up the moment Schmidt aimed a gun at Bucky and I couldn't do a damn thing to save him.

The sound of a gunshot in my dream had me bolting up, eyes wide, gasping for breath.

It had been close to an hour since then and I still couldn't get those images out of my mind…

The worst part in all this was… I couldn't even find comfort in knowing that it was just a dream, that Steve and Bucky were actually alright, sleeping nearby or keeping watch…

They weren't…

They never would be again.

They. Were. Gone.

I lost them for good, all too suddenly and I didn't… didn't…

My eyes widened.

How – how could I have forgotten?!

I nearly lunged off the bed, making a beeline to the drawer where I had placed my old clothes in. I yanked it open, tossing aside the shirt and undershirt and grasping the coat.

Please. Please. Please.

I whirled around, heading back to the bed, tossing the coat on it and started searching through the pockets, my hand trembling. Please tell me I put it in one of these pockets… Please…

After checking each one several times and even shaking the coat and bedspread, I took a shaky breath, racking my brain to figure out where else I could have…

I whirled around, grabbing my old pants. They're the only other thing I had with pockets. It – it needed to be there. Please, please, please.

Please…

I leaned heavily on the bed, my grip incredibly tight on the fabric of the pants.

What – what had I done with it? What…?

Steve had given me the box. I had it in my hand. I had walked away. The Gate had shown up.

Then… I couldn't remember.

I couldn't remember what happened with that box; the one Bucky had wanted me to have.

The last thing I had left from any of them and… I had lost it…

Unless…

"JAR – JARVIS," I breathed out, my voice shaky.

"Yes, Miss?"

"When… When I had arrived… Did… Was there a small box that landed… somewhere?" I asked softly, staring at my old clothes.

There was a pause and I had a small spark of hope that maybe JARVIS would come back with some good news. "After replaying the video feed of your arrival," he began and I held my breath, "I do not think so, Miss. However, I may have missed something because of the camera angles."

I nodded, exhaling slowly, almost getting my hopes up. Maybe – maybe I had dropped it in the lab. Maybe it fell under one of the many tables and JARVIS couldn't see it.

But, if that was the case… I was going to need to ask Tony to let me look through his lab downstairs.

Fuck…

I turned, flopping onto my back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. This may be more difficult than anticipated…

I spent the rest of the early morning trying to come up with a non-hostile, diplomatic way of getting Tony to even let me in his lab to search for the box.

Not that I came up with anything truly concreate.

I knew I was hot-headed and that negotiating wasn't my strong suit so whatever plan I could have come up with would probably blow up early on.

Well, I could always just wing it.

I shuffled into the kitchen as sunlight was only barely streaming through the windows and flopped onto one of the chairs at the kitchen island. I debated on whether or not I should eat some breakfast but, the moment that thought crossed my mind, my stomach clenched and I realized I didn't have any appetite for anything.

Damn nightmare…

I leaned my head on the cool top of the island and waited. I knew at some point Tony would pass by for his morning cup of coffee so I just needed to be patient.

And hope he hadn't already gotten it… If he did, I would have to probably wait the entire day or even until tomorrow morning for him to emerge from his lab.

I could possibly ask JARVIS…

"You have a bed, do you not?"

I jerked up as Tony eyed me carefully, frowning slightly before heading to get his coffee.

"You look particularly horrible this morning," he added. "Is this you without having had your breakfast?"

I resisted the urge to flip him off for that comment. I needed to keep calm if I was going to get down into his lab to look for the box.

"Not very hungry," I mumbled, leaning my head on my hand.

There was a surprised huff from Tony as he poured himself some coffee. As he went to put the pot away, he hesitated a moment before turning around and holding it up in my direction. "Need some?"

I shook my head, waving him off. "No, thanks," I said, pleasantly surprised by the offer.

Tony shrugged, putting the pot away and taking a sip of his coffee.

We were both silent for a moment as I tried to remember one of the least hostile and direct approaches I had come up with while in my room to get Tony to let me look around his lab. It may be a good moment to ask him since he did seem to be in a slightly better mood this morning.

Better than mine anyway…

"I…" Tony looked up at me and waited. I took a deep breath, straightening. Well, here goes nothing. "I have a question."

"I may or may not have an answer," he replied, leaning against the counter.

Fair enough… "When I landed here, did – had I drop something?"

"Apart from yourself, on the floor?"

"Apart from that."

Tony paused for a moment before shaking his head, taking another sip of his coffee. "What did you lose?"

Crap… I leaned against my hand once more, taking a deep breath. "A box," I replied softly. "I don't know when I dropped it."

"J? Anything from Short Stuff's impromptu arrival?" asked Tony.

I rolled my eyes at the nickname but I didn't make a scene about it. Not when Tony and I were not annoying each other too much this early in the morning.

"Negative, Sir," replied JARVIS which was a good thing to hear: he hadn't changed the story since I had asked. "My recordings don't show any box being dropped but my view may have been blocked."

Tony nodded several times, tapping his mug with his fingers before pushing off the counter and motioning for me to follow. "You can take a quick look, Short Stuff. Let's go."

My eyes widened at his decision and hesitated half a moment before sliding off the chair. I nearly scurried after him, following him down to his lab.

It had been a long shot when I had asked about the box but I truly hadn't expected Tony to be the one to actually offer to let me look around his lab!

I wasn't going to mention it out loud though!

The lab looked as busy and messy as it had a few days ago. I slowed down slightly, taking in everything on the tables once more, noticing even more half-finished projects laying around.

And those boots were still there. They had changed table but Tony still had them and I wondered once more what they were for.

Considering what I had seen the other night, I could confirm that they are not part of the 21st century fashion.

Wait… Laying not too far away from the boots looked like a –

"Short Stuff, you landed over there. So," Tony vaguely motioned towards an area with a wave of his hand as he headed to another table, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Ok, thanks," I mumbled, heading over in that direction, already scanning the floor.

Maybe it fell underneath something?

I lowered myself onto my knees, bending over to check under the closest table. Maybe behind these scraps? I gently moved them aside and then the next batch. Still nothing. Maybe –

A pile moved on its own and I jumped, hitting my head on the underside of the table.

"Fucking shit!" I growled out, massaging my head.

"You're gonna have to get used to Dum-E, Short Stuff," called out Tony and I blinked, spotting said robot with some scraps still pinched in his claw.

Dum-E beeped, rotating his claw, almost as a greeting. Well, I thought it was a greeting. I guess… "Hi, Dum-E," I mumbled, massaging my head a little more before returning to the task at hand. "You wouldn't happen to have seen a small box, would you?"

The robot beeped differently and I wasn't sure if that was an affirmative or negative response. I leaned back, glancing in Tony's direction. "Was that a 'yes' or a 'no' beep?" I asked.

"That was a 'no'," he replied without turning around, still looking at a screen.

"Ok," I mumbled. Of course, it wouldn't have been this simple…

I moved onto the next table and Dum-E rolled next to me. Alright… "I guess you're helping?" I asked, bending under the table, Dum-E following suit and beeping once more, differently then when he had beeped 'no'. "Thanks, I guess."

Dum-E and I continued to search around where I had landed for several minutes but we both came up empty.

I sighed, flopping onto the floor and massaging my face. Great, just fucking great. The last thing I had from any of them in the 1940s was gone.

It was official.

I. Lost. It.

And, knowing that, it _hurt_.

Keep it together. Not now. Not here.

"Find anything, Short Stuff?" wondered Tony after a moment, making me jump, gasping out. Breathe, just breathe. He was probably asking because I hadn't moved in a while…

Keep. It. TOGETHER!

"No," I managed to reply, keeping my voice from wavering. "I – I must have dropped it before landing here…"

I couldn't see Tony's face from my position on the floor but I could tell from the direction of his legs that he had turned towards me.

"Well, that sucks," he said slowly and I felt my heart clench tightly.

"Yeah, it does…," I just managed to answer evenly.

I took two deep breaths to stock my body from shaking before pushing myself up, still trying to keep my emotions under control. I couldn't believe I lost it…

"I'll be – be upstairs," I mumbled, slowly making my way to the staircase, purposely avoiding looking in Tony's direction. "Thanks for letting me look."

Tony hummed in response as I continued walking and he only said something once I reached the door. "How big of a box are we talking about?"

I paused my hand on the handle. I took another deep breath before answering. "Not big. Fit in my hand."

There was almost a sound of confusion that came from him. "What? Wanted to give it to a special lady?"

I stiffened at the words 'special lady' but replayed the question in my head. No… I didn't want to give it… "No, not like that. Someone had wanted me to have it."

I caught sight of Tony's reflection, of the confusion on his face. He visibly looked like he was thinking something over before he asked, "Do you know what was inside?"

That felt like a punch in the gut and I squeezed my eyes shut. "No," I managed to answer with a quick shake of my head. "Thanks again. I'll leave you to your work."

I tried but I felt myself climbing the stairs too quickly, making it too obvious that I was upset. Well, it was better than letting Tony see the tears in my eyes.

I truly couldn't catch a break… Not before, not now.

* * *

_Thank you again for reading! Let me know what you though!_

_P.S. Well, a lot of you will probably be wondering HOW ED DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE BOX WAS OR HAD IN IT. I know, I know! Ed is OBLIVIOUS (all caps necessary!). Many of you have probably figured it out a while ago or had your suspicions. If you hadn't well... Spoiler alert...? I guess? Maybe? Not sure, but here is your warning! :P_

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_When the idea of that box popped up in my head, I had also wanted to have a headcanon that Ed ever really paid attention to engagements/weddings, anything of that sort considering how her parents ended up (she didn't want something similar to happen to her). She was never into those daydreams and she didn't want to think about it. Yes, Izumi has a wedding ring and yes, that relationship is probably one of the healthiest Ed had ever witnessed long-term (apart from the Hughes but that wasn't as long). However, Ed most likely hadn't ask and/or didn't know that the ring came in a small box: she had more pressing matters like learning alchemy and not getting her ass kicked too badly in the sparring sessions. So hence my headcanon :)_

_All in all to say, it was mostly done so that Ed doesn't know what was in the box. Will she ever know? Well, that'll be revealed later on!_


	6. Chapter 6 - A Chance?

_Thank you all so much for the continuous support for this story! I love, love, LOVE reading your reviews and seeing the ever increasing number of favorites and alerts!_

_Thank you all so much!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously:_

_Ed was compiling a list on whether or not she should trust Tony with the repair of her automail arm. So far, she had:_

_1) Doesn't like me or Steve. Reasons unknown._

_2) Is good with technology, robots, and everything mechanical._

_3) Owns/partially owns a company. Where did Obadiah fall in this? Apparently, he is close to Tony but Tony is still hiding things from him. So… trust issues?_

_4) Tony wanted to be more responsible. For him and for the company._

_5) Post traumatic stress. What had happened? Reason for trying to be more responsible?_

_Will Ed finally trust Tony or will all this go up in flame?_

* * *

_2 days until deadline_

_6) An annoyance? Usually but… not always. Why? Refer to 1) _

I sat at the edge of the pool, my legs crossed in front of me, leaning my head in my hand. I didn't particularly make any progress on my decision making concerning my arm and on trusting Tony.

It had been refreshing the other day when Tony had let me look around his lab and we hadn't fought. Even this past morning, when we had crossed paths in the kitchen, we hadn't been at each other's throats. Yes, insults had been exchanged but… I didn't feel they were malicious….

It was quite a change!

And, surprisingly, he hadn't brought up the lost box. Something I was thankful for. After leaving the lab that day, I had headed straight to my room and slammed the door shut, laying on my bed for better part of the day. I had tried to distract myself by reading on the tablet but I couldn't exactly remember _what_ I had read… It had all been a blur.

At least no one came to check on me.

I thought about all that as I stared out into the ocean. By the pool, thankfully, I still had a nice view of the sunset that was partially covered by clouds of reds, oranges, purples, and pinks.

I had needed to be alone, in my room, for a while to sort through my jumbled thoughts. Having someone there would have been more of a distraction than a help.

However… I also missed the pestering of someone who cared…

Al… Winry… Steve…

Bucky…

They wouldn't have left me alone long enough: someone would have tried to distract me, to get me to talk it out.

On this side of the Gate, in this year…

No one would do that.

It hadn't stopped me from glancing at the door from time to time, expecting _someone_ to walk it.

I breathed in deeply the salty ocean air, pushing those thought to the back of my mind as I leaned back, stretching my legs out in front of me, taking in the last rays of sunshine for the day, letting the wind rustle my hair.

I wonder if I would be needing to cut my hair this time around or if I could let it grow out. Even though having short hair was practical, I missed it being long. Even my braid, I –

Movement caught the corner of my eye and I glanced in that direction, my eyes widening as I spotted Tony of all people making his way towards me.

With two white, square boxes in his hands.

"You hungry, Short Stuff?" he asked, holding up a box and I felt my eyes widen even more. I wouldn't be surprised if my jaw had dropped.

He had brought me dinner?!

"Don't give me that look," he stated, dragging a lounge chair closer to where I was sitting with his foot before flopping onto it. "Blame Pepper. She apparently thinks we don't eat and need to be reminded to do so."

He handed me a box and I just noticed then the chopsticks sticking out of the top.

"She had mentioned something along those lines," I said as the smell hit me and my mouth watered. "What is it?"

Tony opened his box, already poking around with his chopsticks. "Chinese food. Lo Mein to be exact."

I nodded, not exactly understanding what that was but it did smell good so that was enough for me. I placed my box further away on the chair that Tony was sitting on, using it as a table as I opened the box with one hand and grabbed the chopsticks. Not only did it smell good but it looked good too!

We ate in silence and I took the time to savour each bite, each one tasting better than the last. Maybe not eating lunch – again… – may have had an impact on how I viewed this dinner but I didn't care. What I had thought the other night still stood: the food had gotten so much better 60 years in the future!

However, unlike the dinner with Pepper, this dinner had a heavy air of awkward silence over it. We had had better conversations compared to when I had arrived and, I guess both of us didn't want to go back to the insults and yelling again. Well, I knew I didn't. That just left me wondering what topic may be safe enough to bring up.

"You haven't swum here yet, have you?" wondered Tony suddenly, his eyes fixed on the pool.

Alright, he found something at least. Not the best subject but it was at least something. I shook my head, pointing to my right arm with my chopsticks. "Hard to do with a metal limb," I replied between bites. "I'll only swim if it's shallow."

Tony nodded as he continued to eat, still eyeing the pool as he frowned slightly. Almost as if he was thinking about something. What exactly… I wasn't going to ask. One things at a time.

However,… "How about you? This is your pool. Do you swim often?"

He shrugged, taking a large bite of food. "Used to," he mumbled, his mouth full. "Been too busy these days."

I hesitated a moment on actually asking the question but, he did seem a little more open and I had been done to his lab. Also, if he was anything like Howard about his projects, he would possibly just talk my ear off about them. "What have you been doing that's been keeping you busy?"

He shrugged, poking at his food some more. "A project," he finally replied. "Doing an update on a prototype I had come up with… overseas."

I nodded. Apparently I was wrong… He didn't talk my ear off but, I was almost surprised by how forthcoming he had been with his answer. Or how… vague he had been. But at least it was a start. The last part sounded almost hesitant but I knew better than to push for an explanation. Instead, I settled for, "Ok, is it going well at least?"

"Dum-E has doused me with a fire extinguisher while testing it but he shouldn't do it again. He's been warned he may get donated to a community college."

I snorted at the story, trying not spit out the food in my mouth. When I managed to swallow, I was still smiling as I turned towards Tony. He was studying me and, surprisingly, had a small smile of his own.

"You sure you're 19?" he asked, pointing to me with his chopsticks in a vague motion. "You haven't magically gotten younger going through that gate?"

"I'm technically 83 years old. Probably best to respect my elders," I replied quickly with a tilt of my head.

Tony chuckled at that, turning away probably to hide his smile. "Older but not wiser," he added, going back to his food.

"Definitely not in 2009…," I agreed with a sigh. "I'm still amazed at how much has changed. And yet…"

"History does tend to repeat itself," said Tony softly.

I scrunched my face at those words, not disagreeing with him.

"Well, since you reminded me of your advanced age, not only can I call you Short Stuff, but Grumpy Old Man fits well too," said Tony before taking a large bite of food, sending me an amused smirk as he did.

This time, I didn't hesitate in flipping him off.

At least it got a chuckle out of him.

_7) Keeps information private. Good at deflecting. Still sociable. Can he be trusted to tell to whole truth or just part of it? Is point #7 positive or negative in all this…?_

* * *

_1 day until deadline_

"Have you decided yet, Short Stuff?" wondered Tony as he entered the kitchen, heading for his usual morning coffee.

"I still have a day," I replied, just barely managing to bite my tongue before I called him a name back.

Tony, however, seemed to have noticed and he rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Alright, humour me, what could possibly change in one day?"

I shrugged as I took a bite of my toast, swinging my legs as I sat at the kitchen island like usual. He was presenting me with an opportunity so… I might as well take it. It may be the biggest hesitation I had with this whole situation. He may not have wanted to answer it the first day I arrived but, since we had been on better terms, maybe, just maybe… "It may not change but, since things have been going better, you could tell me why you hate me."

Maybe that was a little blunt…

Tony had had the pot in his hand when I had asked that question and he paused, staring at it for a moment. "'Hate' is a strong word," was his surprising response.

I slowly put my toast down, not having expected this turn of events. The 'maybe I'll get an answer' was getting better by the moment. "Fine," I slowly said. "Why you don't like me. Did something I do in 1945 have an impact on you today?"

"You know," Tony had long since left the coffee pot as he turned around, leaning against the counter, "you're asking very personal questions. We aren't there yet, Short Stuff."

"I don't know where 'there' is or what that expression means but, I admit, they are personal. But you personally don't like me, we've established that from the moment I landed downstairs. And yet… I somehow need to trust you with my arm."

"Your broken arm that's hanging uselessly at your side," he pointed out with a quick gesture of his hand. "The one that no one else can possibly fix."

"You say that but –"

"I know you've done your research on today's prosthetics and on robotics. Can you honestly tell me you saw anything out there similar to what you have? Or that someone else could possibly begin to understand how your arm works?"

I leaned back, stunned. He – he knew I researched that? Had…? Did he have access to what I looked up on the tablet?

"How – how the fuck do you know that? Have you been going through my things?" I asked, wracking my brain to think of what else he could have possibly gone through. I didn't have much but it was still _mine_.

Fine, the tablet was given to me by Pepper but, if I didn't have it with me, it was in my room.

My journal, on the other hand…

"I don't snoop, Short Stuff," replied Tony, crossing his arms.

"Then how the fuck did you know I researched that?" I asked, my voice lowering as I felt my anger begin to boil.

He shrugged, not seeming bothered by my tone. "I had JARVIS monitor what you've been looking for. It's not snooping."

What. The. Fuck…?

"You've been _what_?"

"It's not –"

"BULLSHIT it's not! What happened to privacy?!"

"Like when you tried to search for information on Pepper without her knowledge?" he snapped back and I visibly flinched.

He knew about that too? But then…

"But I didn't find anything on her," I slowly said, staring at the island top, my mind processing piece by piece what… "I didn't find anything. Unlike when I looked up any of the Howling Commandoes. Yet JARVIS had been able to show me _so much more_ than anything I could ever have found by myself." I lifted my gaze then, _glaring_ at Tony. "You – you must have somehow been blocking my searches," I finally realized.

Not only had I been thrown into the future, I was at the mercy of someone who could control nearly EVERYTHING I had access to!

And I was losing whatever control I supposedly had on my temper.

"If you did block her information," I continued, my voice rising as I jumped off the chair, "why the fuck would I trust that you'd be the only person who could fix my arm?! You could be lying to me! Hiding information! And I wouldn't even know!"

"I hid Pepper's information because that's her personal life," snapped Tony and I clenched my fist at his admission. "Everything else though, you had access to!"

"Really?!" I yelled out, not believing a word he said, "and how am I supposed to believe that?! You –" I stopped, realization hitting me all too suddenly and… it fucking HURT. "Is – is that why you've been NICE to me the last few days?! Just so that you could get your hands on my arm? So that I could trust you?!"

Tony looked visibly stunned by my outburst but I didn't care. I had lost _EVERYTHING_ too many times and this, _this_ was the final straw.

"You know what you _motherfucking asshole_, you –"

"Not again! Stop it!" Pepper quickly placed herself between us, looking exasperated at she glanced between us. "I thought it was going better! What happened this time?"

I continued to glare at Tony, my thoughts reeling, unsure of what to believe anymore. He purposely blocked information on Pepper and had access to anything I researched. How was I supposed to tell if he had somehow manipulated any other information I could have seen or not seen?

How the fuck was I supposed to trust this asshole anymore?!

Without a word, I turned heel and stormed away, ignoring Pepper's calls.

I needed to get out of here.

_8) A FUCKING LIAR!_

* * *

Thank fucking damn this whole fucking property was so fucking huge…

FUCKING ASSHOLE!

I couldn't believe it! How could I have been so naïve? How could I not have realized that that ASSHOLE could hide – could monitor, could decide! – what information I had access to!

History does fucking repeat itself! I had seen it in Amestris! I had seen it during the war on this side!

And now this shit!

I yelled out as I kicked a nearby bush, angered not only with that asshole but with myself as well!

This is what I get for trusting someone I didn't know!

And that FUCKING GATE! Another stupid decision on my part for thinking It would have dropped me with an ally the second time around! It probably wanted to toy with me, see me suffer, be confused! I wouldn't put it past It!

Sick son of a bitch!

Another shrub received the same kicking treatment before I stopped walking, breathing deeply as I clenched and unclenched my fist.

As much as I would be more than happy kicking every single bush, shrub and whatever else that asshole had on his stupidly large property, I needed to figure out my next move.

Even though my first instinct was to run and get as far away as possible from this house… A part of me wondered if I could truly find someone to fix my arm out there. As of yet, I hadn't seen anyone else with prosthetics like mine, during my research or when I had gone out with Pepper.

But that cycled back to possibly having information blocked by that asshole…

My best bet may be Peggy… I still remembered her address when I had…

Fuck… Would that have been modified too?

A large boulder got a few good kicks as I growled out.

Everything is fucked up!

With a last growl and kick, I continued my way through the property, rubbing my face harshly.

Fine, fine! For argument's sake, even if Peggy's address was indeed correct, I still needed to somehow CROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

Maybe I should have had asked JARVIS for her phone number… Maybe then I would have figured something out with her on how to travel all the way there…

My walk had brought me to the edge of the property, on the cliff side facing the ocean. Had I really been gone that long? It was hard to tell behind the large clouds but it seemed like late afternoon. I spent hours wandering around the property and was no where closer to figuring out what my next move would be…

Fucking great…

I sighed heavily as I glanced around, wondering what to do now. I still didn't want to return to the house even though my stomach was almost begging me to feed it. My stubbornness, though, kept me heading in the opposite direction. And that was…

Wait.

There was a hidden staircase on the side of the cliff, dug into the rock, that led down. Maybe there was a beach at the bottom? If so…

Might as well go see. It would be better than continuing to kick things of nature up here.

As I started climbing down the stairs, my mind wondering back to the ridiculously large and annoying dilemma I had. Any other time, I could just have packed up and left. But… Where would I go? What could I do to even get money?

So much had changed that I would probably get taken advantage of.

And… the only thing of value I still had was my silver pocket watch. Yes, it could get me a good chunk of money but… It was the only thing apart from my automail that I still had from Amestris.

Someone would need to pry it away from my cold, dead hands.

Amestris… It had been three years and I was still stuck on this side. Even worse, I had a broken automail arm.

But I did miss them.

I had reached the bottom of the stairs and onto the beach. I breathed in deeply the salt air, my mind remembering everyone I had left back in Amestris.

A part of me wondered if it was even worth making any more connections on this side. I had lost pretty much everyone from the first time and this time…

I felt betrayed.

That was the feeling I couldn't pinpoint for hours but it was clear as day now that I realized it. I had wanted to trust Tony more than wanting to distrust him. I had wanted to give him a chance, a chance no one was really giving him to do the right thing.

But why did I want to?

He was insulting, sarcastic, tried to be charismatic while…

Oh fuck…

I rubbed my face once more, not believing it.

If I had compared Steve to Al the first time around, this time… I was comparing Tony to MUSTANG of all people. And, thinking back, this hadn't been the first time I had compared the two of them!

No shit we didn't exactly get along!

Unbelievable!

I could have compared him to ANYONE else and it just had to be Colonel Bastard!

The only silver lining in this was that I had yet to call Tony a 'bastard'… Worst part about comparing them was that, even though the Colonel had been a SERIOUS pain in the ass for YEARS, I… I still trusted him at the end of the day

So… Did that mean something similar for Tony?

Fuck…

Unbelievable…

I am going around in FUCKING CIRCLES!

I…

I slowed down, spotting two men standing around, on the beach, some type of large, oval boards stuck in the sand not far away. They had spotted me as they waved, already heading in my direction.

Shit… How far had I –? A quick glance behind me told me that I had walked a good distance away from the hidden stairs and Tony's house. I probably wasn't even on his property anymore.

And I wasn't in the mood to deal with people, especially two older men in skin tight outfits who hung around a beach in this weather… The wind was picking up and my ports were starting to hurt, clear signs that a storm was on its way.

"Hey, man!" called one of them slowly, doing a wide wave. "How's it hangin'?"

I blinked, stopping, not sure if I understood his question. Because there was no way of hanging anything out here…

"I was just leaving," I said, already taking a step back. "Didn't mean to bother you…"

"Nonsense, man!" called out the other man with a hefty laugh. "We just finished surfing! The waves were just right!"

I blinked, not sure what he meant by surfing. But, he had mentioned something about the waves, so… that meant they were in the water. Why the fuck would they do that? The waves were getting crazier by the moment.

"Do you surf, man? You have the build for it!" said the first man, giving me a once over.

"No thanks, I don't particularly care for the ocean," I replied, taking another step back.

"But you're on the beach, man!"

"Best part of it!"

"It's actually better further that way!" He motioned behind me with a vague wave of his arm. "Beach is nicer!"

"But that's private property, man!" said the other one and I began getting a weird feeling about this conversation. It felt a little… forced…

"The kid came from there!" countered the first one, before eyeing me carefully. "Maybe you could put in a word for us!"

Oh fuck… I quickly shook my head at that suggestion. "No, not a good idea. I'll just get out of your hair and –"

"Wait, you came from Stark's mansion?"

I froze.

I came from… WHERE?!

No, it can't be the same Stark. It must be a common name. Must be because…

Tony… Stark?

Would he be…? He – he would have reason to hide that, no…? But… WHY?! Why –?

"He'll be useful."

The man's voice and tempo had changed drastically. The look in his eyes had changed. Both men's statures had changed.

How did I JUST notice they were completely DRY?!

I took a quick step back as the closest man lunged at me, his outstretched hand slipping just to my left. Shit, shit, SHIT! I stumbled back several more steps, cursing out the wet sand under my feet. This was not the best place for a fight!

He kept up with me, reaching out once more and I knocked his arm back.

This was not good.

I had thought these were two random, lost men on the beach but, the way they moved and the way they acted portrayed something more…

Fighters.

I backed up again, trying to get into my fighting stance but the wet sand at my feet as making it difficult and I cursed under my breath, lifting my arm to swat another punch away.

The other men then decided to step in as well. I ducked under his outstretched arm while the first one swung a punch and –

DAMNIT!

I forgot about my broken automail.

I couldn't block the first man's punch and it hit home on the side of my head. I staggered back, cursing loudly, spotting the men lunge towards me once more.

Fucking shit!

I made a large swipe with my automail leg, connecting with one of their sides. He yelled out, colliding with the other man. That gave me a chance to back up even more, feeling the remnants of waves breaking at my feet as I tried to ignore the throbbing in my head.

What the hell did these assholes want with me?!

And what was so special about Tony?!

By then, I had finally managed to get into a semblance of a fighting stance as those men straightened, approaching me from either side. Damn my broken automail… This would have been so much easier if I had both my arms to defend myself against two men.

"Such an uncooperative brat," grumbled one of the men, glaring at me as he cracked his knuckles.

"So I've been told," I snapped, flipping him off.

That seemed like the cue for them to attack me. They came at me simultaneously and, as I defended myself while throwing in some of my own punches and kicks, I had to constantly remind myself that I couldn't use my right arm.

I had never realized how often I relied on my automail until I couldn't use it in a fight…

Ducking under another punch, I slammed my body into the man, pushing hm several steps before he found his footing and held his ground. I growled out as I tried to trip him but another wave crashed nearby, loosening the sand under my feet. I tried to regain my balance but, with the receding water, the sand moved even more. With my shaky footing, I pushed away from the man, stepping back once more.

And I fell flat on my back, my ankle having twisted on the moving sand and I hit the ground hard, gasping out.

Just as a wave washed over me.

This cannot be happening, damnit!

I choked on the salt water, pushing myself up and –

I got shoved down by my left shoulder, my head remaining under the water and I felt more pressure on my stomach. Asshole was pinning me to the ground!

Fucking shit!

I kicked up, hoping to reach him but it was damn hard not being able to see anything! I could only guess where –

My leg got stepped on, heavily and I cried out.

That didn't help with the water situation.

Finally, the wave receded enough and I coughed out, feeling water drip out of my nose. Such a damn horrible sensation!

"So what were you doing at Tony Stark's mansion?" asked the man over me, leaning in close.

This can't be happening… I coughed out once more before spitting in his face and swinging my only functioning fist at his head.

Even though he was disgusted by the spit, he still managed to lift his other arm quick enough to block my attack before grabbing my wrist and pinning it to the sand.

His other hand left my shoulder and went to my neck…

"I don't know a Stark," I managed to gasp out just as another wave washed over me.

I don't know if it was because of the hand around my neck but it felt as if I was under there so much longer than before…

And when the water did pass…

I was choking on it and the lack of air.

"Such a brat, a little liar," snarled the man. "There's only one public way of getting here. And unless you somehow snuck past Stark's security system, you came from the house. So, answer the question! Because if you aren't any use to us, you'll be swimming with the fish!""

Fucking… Shit…

My vision was growing dark around the edges but I knew I couldn't just give up! I struggled some more against the men and –

Another wave washed over me, catching me by surprise and filling my mouth and nose with more salt water.

Not good. Not –

The pressure around my neck and the man's weight vanished and I gasped, sucking in air –

No! That was more WATER!

I rolled over coughing, nearly retching as the water dripped out of my mouth and nose. I shuddered at the feeling, heaving some more and it just wouldn't stop.

The more air I tried to get in, the more I felt the water still in my mouth and nose enter my windpipe and I choked, coughing some more.

It was an endless cycle until…

I just threw up.

"Jeez, Short Stuff…"

I barely heard whoever said that as I leaned my head against the cold, wet sand, spitting out the last of the bile.

At least I could breathe better…

My nose scrunched heavily as the smell hit me suddenly. Maybe it wasn't better to be able to breathe if this was what I was –

I was yanked back by the scruff of my sweater and I cried out in surprise, falling back on my ass. Who the fuck?! Why –?

Oh…

I blinked as another wave crashed where I had just been laying, thankfully washing away the remnants of the content of my stomach. Thankfully, I had been moved because the waves were getting more and more violent and that one would definitely have crashed over me.

I finally realized the pull on my sweater just as it was released. Who…? I blinked, wiping the hair plastered to my face away, feeling sand scratch my skin as I did so. True… I had placed my face in the sand…

I used my sleeve to remove a chunk of sand and water away as I turned my head, trying to spot who – who… My eyes widened at the sight of the two men, unconscious further away, trapped in some high-tech, fancy looking net.

Who had…?

My eyes widened. What…?

Tony.

TONY of all people was standing not too far away, shouldering some gun shaped weapon as he stared down at me.

What. The. Fuck?!

* * *

_Let me know what you thought! :D_

_Thank you all so much again!_


	7. Chapter 7 - Breaking Barriers

_Thank you as always to you wonderful readers! Love you all so much! And thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review or who story favorited/alerted the story!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously:_

_(After attack on the beach)_

_"Jeez, Short Stuff…"_

_I barely heard whoever said that as I leaned my head against the cold, wet sand, spitting out the last of the bile._

_At least I could breathe better…_

_My nose scrunched heavily as the smell hit me suddenly. Maybe it wasn't better to be able to breathe if this was what I was –_

_I was yanked back by the scruff of my sweater and I cried out in surprise, falling back on my ass. Who the fuck?! Why –?_

_Oh…_

_I blinked as another wave crashed where I had just been laying, thankfully washing away the remnants of the content of my stomach. Thankfully, I had been moved because the waves were getting more and more violent and that one would definitely have crashed over me._

_I finally realized the pull on my sweater just as it was released. Who…? I blinked, wiping the hair plastered to my face away, feeling sand scratch my skin as I did so. True… I had placed my face in the sand…_

_I used my sleeve to remove a chunk of sand and water away as I turned my head, trying to spot who – who… My eyes widened at the sight of the two men, unconscious further away, trapped in some high-tech, fancy looking net._

_Who had…?_

_My eyes widened. What…?_

_Tony. _

_TONY of all people was standing not too far away, shouldering some gun shaped weapon as he stared down at me._

_What. The. Fuck?!_

* * *

"You know you're damn well lucky JARVIS monitors the edge of my property," stated Tony with a wave of his hand in the direction of his house. "Damn lucky."

I frowned, scoffing at his tone and his words. "I thought you'd be happy to get rid of me," I snapped weakly, wiping my face once more. Ugh… I still felt the sand…

"You were nearly drowned, Short Stuff. That's no way for someone to go," he stated with a shake of his head as he turned heel, already heading back. "You're welcome, by the way."

I watched him for a moment before glancing back at the still unconscious men. What…? I stumbled to my feet and –

I groaned, falling to my knees. I hadn't noticed the throbbing in my leg until now. One of those assholes had stepped on it and I only just realized it _hurt_. This may be a problem getting back to the house. But, that was if I was going back there.

"What about them?" I called out, glancing at the men.

Tony didn't slow down nor did he turn around. "Police are arriving in 11 minutes. It'll be their problem."

I stole one last glance at the men once more before slowly getting to my feet, placing most of my weight on my left leg instead. Well, I knew I didn't want to be here when the police arrived: I wouldn't know where to start with explaining what had happened, especially to complete strangers.

And how these men went from unassuming to a threat within moments.

I began my slow progress of following Tony towards the hidden staircase, limping as I avoided placing too much weight on my right leg.

I didn't exactly want to think how climbing those stairs was going to be once I reached them…

Wiping my face once more – damn sand was STILL stuck – I glanced ahead of me, wondering how far ahead Tony was and – and…

Wait. He didn't seem that much further than before which was bizarre. I was LIMPING. He was FINE. I slowed down even more, frowning in confusion until I spotted the briefest of glances behind him as Tony pretended to look out onto the ocean.

"You coming, Short Stuff?" he called out, probably having realized I noticed him.

"Trying," I mumbled, picking up the pace once more.

Tony, however, hadn't started moving just yet as he eyed my right leg. He opened his mouth but I beat him to it.

"'m fine," I said as I passed him, still heading towards the stairs. That may not have been what he was going to ask but I was covering my bases just in case.

Besides, it wasn't like he actually cared.

Right…?

I pushed that thought aside for now as I focused on a more pressing question. Like how fucking far had I walked from the stairs?! I truly had been lost in thought, hadn't I?

Tony was keeping pace next to me but we weren't talking to each other which gave me a chance to sort through everything that had happened.

Like, who were those men? They had placed themselves far enough away from Tony's property, probably to not draw attention to themselves but still close enough to have figured out that I came from the house.

No, not a _house. _A mansion.

Stark's mansion. Those men had called it Stark's mansion.

That name had thrown me off, I had to admit.

Tony Stark.

I stole a glance in Tony's direction, trying to be discreet while studying his features, trying to spot _something_ that may look familiar. It did seem like he had some of Howard's traits but… That may just be some wishful thinking from my part.

Like I wanted Tony to be related to Howard so I could possibly have _one_ link to the past, to everyone I had lost in 1945.

As I said wish – wishful thinking…

Wait.

Would that have been the reason the Gate had dropped me in Tony's basement? Because of that link?

And is the name 'Tony' short for 'Anthony'?

Is Tony Howard's SON?!

Was that the piece of the puzzle I had been missing? The key to understanding all of this confusion?

"Are you going to be able to climb the stairs, Short Stuff?" asked Tony, making me jump, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I blinked, trying to process what Tony – Howard's _son_? – had just said.

"Hey, stay with me," stated Tony, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

But, if Tony _was_ Howard's son, why hadn't he said anything? Why not tell me? Why HIDE it?!

Why hate me?!

"Short Stuff, hey, did they hit your head too?" asked Tony, taking a step closer and studying me carefully.

But… He could have just left the police to deal with it. He said they were on their way. He didn't NEED to come down. He didn't even NEED to wait for me.

He didn't need to _care._

But, if he hadn't come down, hadn't cared…

"Thanks," I mumbled, lowering my gaze and toeing the sand.

It looked like Tony faltered at that word and I caught him, from the corner of my eye, making a show of cleaning his ear.

"Yes, I do think they hit your head. That, or I've gone delusional because I thought I heard –"

"Thank you," I repeated with more force, rubbing my nose.

He almost looked like he wanted to be smug but he couldn't seem to pull it off. Instead, he just shrugged, motioning towards the stairs. "It's gonna rain soon and I don't particularly care to be outside when it does."

I glanced up at the sky that had gotten even darker than before and the wind had picked up drastically.

And that meant that pain was starting to spread from my ports as the pressure was dropping drastically.

Great… Just great…

"How fast can you climb those stairs?" wondered Tony as we neared the base of them several meters away.

I shrugged, eyeing the tall cliff that housed the ridiculous amount of stairs that lay ahead of me. "Why, you don't want to get your hair wet in the rain?" I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

"Amongst other things," said Tony with a smirk but he motioned to my automail with a wave of his hand. "And the drop in barometric pressure is known to cause pain to people with prosthetics."

My jaw dropped as I stared at him in disbelief. Not only from the fact that he knew about the pain but… that he cared enough to mention it.

What. The. Fuck. Was. Happening?!

"Don't give that look, Short Stuff."

"Why do you _care_?!" I blurted out, still in shock. "Since _when_ do you care?"

Tony huffed, looking away, even rolling his eyes at my very valid questions.

"Why –?"

My question was cut off as lightning struck nearby followed by a booming crash of thunder. I gasped out, ducking as I tried to figure out exactly where that lightning hit because it was definitely not a good idea for me to be anywhere near a thunder storm.

I was a walking lightning rod with my automail!

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

Almost tripping, I limped as quickly as I could towards the stairs, almost praying that the next lightning strike wasn't anywhere near us. This would not be the best way to go if –

I hadn't noticed that Tony had gotten to my right side until he lifted my automail arm and swung it over his shoulders, pulling me close by the waist as I felt the weapon he was carrying hit me on the hip. He was nearly _dragging_ me with him towards the staircase. I could faintly hear the soft cursing under his breath in several languages as my mind tried to keep up with what the FUCK was going on.

Had I somehow crossed over into _another_ alternate dimension?!

We reached the hidden staircase just as the rain dropped from the sky in an almost uniform sheet of water and another lightning strike illuminated the sky, thunder following a second later.

"Fucking shit," I mumbled, turning around to stare out onto the beach.

Tony had quickly let go of my arm, letting it fall back against my side as he took a deep breath, also glancing out.

And we were quiet, just the rain falling and our breathing the only sound I could hear.

Along with the occasional booming of thunder.

So… What was I going to do now?

Why – why was Tony acting this way? Did he feel guilty about what had happened? I nearly scoffed at that thought. Highly unlikely from my experience from the past week. He… Well, maybe… Maybe a little part of him was. As I had figure before, he didn't _need_ to come all the way down here.

And yet… He did.

I stole a glance towards him and he quickly caught me, tilting his head and sending me an unimpressed look. Asshole… I just rolled my eyes.

He bypassed me without a word, climbing a few steps before flopping down, leaning against one of the walls and laying his weapon down.

"What? Tired already?" I mumbled, stuffing my hand in my pocket.

"Sit down, Short Stuff. You're not climbing these stairs any time soon with that limp of yours," he said off-handedly with a wave of his hand. "And I'm not exactly in the mood to drag you up them."

"Alright, what the _fuck_ is going on?" I exclaimed throwing my hand in the air before wincing as another boom of thunder echoed around us. "Since when do you actually _care_ about me?"

Tony sighed heavily, crossing his arms as he slouched, leaning even more against the wall. "You are being a pain, Short Stuff."

I groaned out in irritation, passing my hand through my hair as I flopped onto a lower stair. "No, YOU'RE the one being a pain. Just answer the damn question! You don't like me, you've made it clear since the moment I landed here and yet, here we are," I even made a show of waving my arm around frantically, "because you somehow grew a conscious in the last couple of hours! Why? What changed?!"

"Who said something changed?"

I stared at him in disbelief for several heartbeats before growling out and punching the stair. Unbelievable. Fucking unbelievable. And I believed for even a moment that Tony was Howard's son? Yes, Howard pissed me off from time to time but this was beyond ridiculous!

Besides, if Tony was actually the Stark heir, then Howard would most likely have told him about me and Tony wouldn't have such a horrible opinion of me! He would have… would have…

_Prodigy_.

_Smart enough_.

_Intelligent_.

Wait…

No…

No fucking way…

What – what if Howard _had _talked about me to Tony? But… It had the opposite effect? Like how the teachers used to compare me to Al growing up? How I wasn't as calm or as caring as him in school? That had pissed me off before I learned not to care about that.

And also having left school at an early age as well to go train with Teacher did help.

But Tony… Howard had passed away in 1991. I didn't know Tony's exact age but I would say he was in his 40s. Then, he would have been in his teenage years, late teenager years when he lost his father.

More than enough time to hear too many stories about myself and…

And of Steve.

_Golden boy_.

"Holy fucking shit," I gasped out, leaning forward, covering my face. "Damn…"

"Short Stuff?"

I slowly glanced towards Tony, my eyes wide as pieces starting falling into place, fitting all too well and making just so much _sense_.

"I get it," I murmured, nodding more to myself at that point.

If Howard had compared us, then that would be why Tony hated the idea that it was _me_ that had landed in his basement. He had mentioned something along those lines when I had arrived. That is was specifically _me_! That damn Gate had decided to drop me in that specific basement. The Gate had made that decision because Tony was the only link I had to 1945: everyone else apart from Peggy was gone.

And Peggy wouldn't exactly be able to help me, not with my automail.

Tony _could_.

The Gate wasn't toying with me.

It just left me with someone who had grown up _hating_ me…

No, Tony would have hated the person Howard had told him about. Maybe that was why he was acting different as the week went on. Who I actually was versus who Tony _thought_ I was.

It made _sense_.

"You gonna share your eureka moment, Short Stuff, or am I leaving you alone down here?"

And that's why he hid who he was. Who Pepper was. If people knew who Tony was just like they knew who Howard was, then they would probably know who Pepper was if she worked for Tony. Information on her would have given Tony's identity away.

That missing piece was "Stark" and the rest of the puzzle became so much clearer.

And… In the kitchen, during our fight. Well…

Actually looking back at it, Tony had stopped reacting halfway through, had stopped defending his actions, had stopped making excuses. He had stopped and had been just staring at me. He hadn't lowered his gaze but…

He had looked… defeated?

"Short Stuff!"

I jumped in surprise, focusing back on the present, turning towards Tony, studying him carefully before I finally managed to articulate, "Howard fucked up."

Finally. I _finally_ got a reaction from Tony. It wasn't the flashiest but it was just enough to tell me that I had hit the nail on the head: he had tensed, his gaze shifting to the side for just a moment but it was enough.

I. Was. Right.

Fucking shit. I was RIGHT?!

"What are you talking about?" asked Tony but his voice was too even, too controlled.

"You're Tony _Stark_," I said and he didn't untense. "Those men called your house _Stark_ Mansion, called you _Tony Stark_! That's the reason the Gate dumped me in _your_ basement; the reason you hid information; –"

"Short Stuff –"

" – even the reason you don't like me! Howard. Fucked. Up! I – "

"Quit while you're ahead, will ya?"

"Stop interrupting me! I GET IT!"

"Whatever you think you figured out, it's not –"

"My father was an asshole too."

Finally… That comment stopped him from running his mouth, stopped him from continuing to deny what I had figured out. Honestly, it was one of the few times since I had arrived that I had seen him being so emotional. His gaze was lowered, his body tense as he breathed deeply, his jaw clenched and a hand pressing firmly against his chest.

And he had stopped trying to come up with excuses.

"Can we just stop?" I asked softly but he didn't move. "I know who you are now, especially since you haven't denied anything since I brought Howard up." I noticed Tony taking a deeper breath at the mention of his father and confirmed that somehow, Howard had truly fucked at some point… However, there was a question that had been bothering me since this realization. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Tony finally huffed loudly, running a hand through his hair, messing it up before massaging his face. He looked deep in thought as he leaned back and began fiddling with anything he could get his hands on.

"Telling you wouldn't have made a difference," he ultimately said with a sigh.

"Really? Not knowing –?"

"I'm NOT my father," he snapped, finally looking in my direction and I shut my mouth quickly. "I'm not him and telling you would just have had you wishing he was around instead or that I was more like him."

Well… That was a fair point. Because I had compared Tony's lab to Howard's. It may have been just a matter of time before I compared the two as people. But… I should be the last person to do so. "Maybe I would have but, I also know what it's like to be compared to a father you don't particularly care for," I explained softly, playing with my hair. My hair and eye colour came directly from him, a constant reminder whenever I saw my reflection. "I get it, it sucks…"

"Then why would it have mattered if you knew I was a Stark or not?" he asked with a wave of his hands. "You'd magically like me? Trust me?" He only gave me a moment to think about it before continuing. "And based on what? A man you used to know? As I said, I am _not_ my father."

We stared at each other for a moment before I nodded in understanding. "Fine. You make a good point. Maybe I would have given you a better chance, maybe it could have been worse. But," I frowned, pointing at him, "you do know that you based not liking me on whatever Howard had told you. You didn't like me and acted like an asshole for the past week because you knew who I was. Supposedly knew who I was. Maybe that's why you weren't always such a jerk, because what you expected wasn't like what you saw."

Tony and I kept staring at each other before he rolled his eyes, somewhat nodding. "Point taken."

"Good."

"Good."

And, for the first time, the air around us wasn't tense nor awkward and I could breathe easily, slouching against the wall, listening to the rain fall outside.

"So, do we start over?" I suggested, glancing towards Tony.

He rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. "Fine. But I'm not calling you anything but Short Stuff."

"Yeah, still an asshole."

"Still short."

I flipped him off as I tried to stop myself from smiling. "Alright, so, if I do let you look at my arm, what are you going to do with it?"

Tony glanced towards my automail for a moment before answering. "Either I figure out how it works and fix it or, figure out how it works and upgrade it. Starting with how damn heavy it is. What is it made of anyway?"

I had to admit, the mention of an _upgrade_ got me excited. I haven't had a newer version on my limbs in over three years, since Winry had fitted me with the winter automail when we were at Briggs. "This version is made of aluminum and carbon-fiber," I replied, lifting my arm and laying it on my lap. "It was made specifically for cold weather."

Tony nodded, staring at it. "Sure, but it's still heavy. I already have some combination of metals that could be better and not put a strain on your body."

"Really?" I couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice at that news.

"That is, if you let me look at the arm."

Well… What the hell. "I can, on one condition."

He rolled his eyes, waving me to continue. "I know, I know, I won't run away with it. You already men – mentioned…"

As he had been rambling, I had bent forward, grasping the end of my jeans and rolling them the best I could up, revealing my automail leg as well. That got him to lose his train of thought as he stared in surprise at my leg.

"The condition is you do the same for my leg. Deal?"

Tony stared for a moment longer before nodding. "Deal, Short Stuff."

* * *

_Voila! Thank you all once again! Let me know what you thought! :D_


	8. Chapter 8 - In The Lab

_Thank you everyone for the reviews/favorites/alerts from you faithful readers! :D I love reading your thoughts and knowing that this story is appreciated!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

I flopped onto one of the chairs in the lab, swiveling to the side to dump whatever I had been carrying in my arm on the table next to me

"Careful, Short Stuff. There's some expensive equipment there," called out Tony as he placed a cup of water near me before grabbing several items of food from the pile I had just dropped.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before," I mumbled as I still went about moving the food away from said equipment.

Tony shook his head as he took a sip of his coffee, making room on another table not too far away. As he did that, I grabbed a bag of chips and swiveled once more in my seat, glancing around the lab.

Had it gotten messier since the last time I was here?

"What exactly are you working on?" I asked, spotting the boots now on the floor and what looked like gauntlets and a chest piece on a further table.

"I told you, a project I started overseas," replied Tony without looking back.

I rolled my eyes, studying his 'project' and noticing that… "Very vague answer. It looks like armour."

That got him to turn in his chair to face me and the direction of said 'armour'. I don't remember seeing anything like that in my searches and I didn't think the military would go back to that type of protection.

Would they?

The public wouldn't really need something like that, right?

"Maybe it is armour," was Tony's sarcastic response.

I sent him an exasperated look as I attempted to open the bag of chips. "Is it your mission to be… be _ärgerlich_?"

"_Depends on who I'm talking too_. _People could find me annoying without me having to even open my mouth,_" he replied in German which made me pause, surprised. He caught my reaction and rolled his eyes. "_You're not the only one who learned many languages, Short Stuff._"

"_I just…_" I paused, a feeling of sadness washing over me as I remembered the other instances I had spoken German to someone. "_It's been a while since I was able to talk to someone in German who wasn't trying to kill or capture me._" The last one who had been on my side had been this world's Mustang… And that hadn't ended well…

Yes, I shared a few sentences or words with Bucky and Steve as they were trying to learn the language but… it wasn't the same.

Tony paused whatever he was doing, eyeing me for a moment. He then nodded, turning in his chair, back to the table he was clearing. "_Alright, let's go. You said the arm can come off, let's see how that's done._"

Honestly, I was glad for that change of subject: I didn't need to start thinking about what had happened in 1945 at the moment. It wouldn't do me any good. Instead, I stood, ripping the bag of chips open with my teeth as I pushed my chair with my body towards where Tony was sitting.

When we had finally returned to the house – to the _mansion_ – I had gone to change out of my still damp clothes and wash off the sand and salt, especially around my automail. I didn't want to think what would happen if it was exposed too long to those things… After that, I had opted for wearing my undershirt from 1945 instead of the t-shirt Pepper had gotten me, remembering how Tony had wanted me to take it off last time he had taken a look at my automail.

There are still _some_ secrets I want to keep intact. He shouldn't have a problem getting to my automail with my undershirt on.

Once I was close enough, I flopped back onto the chair, turning my body so that my right arm was facing him and I began to munch on the chips.

"_So, you said the connection is under the top plate, right?_" asked Tony, still in German as he lifted my arm and placed it on the table. Well, tried. I was a little too far for that so he amused himself in rolling my chair closer with his foot.

I nodded, popping more chips in my mouth. "_Near the shoulder,_" I mumbled through my chewing, letting him manoeuvre my arm as he wanted.

He hummed in acknowledgement as he searched the table for a screwdriver. "_When was the last time it came off?_"

"_That my arm was off?_"

"_What else would it be, Short Stuff?_"

"_My leg, asshole._"

Tony sent me a look. "_Both then, brat_."

I thought back for a moment before answering. "_Close to four years._" It had been when Winry had been dragged to Briggs to replace my automail.

Once more, not the most pleasant of memories…

"_Let's hope the screws aren't rusted then. That'll be a pain in the ass to remove…_"

I just nodded, not having thought about that. I had been careful with the outside of my automail but I hadn't paid too much attention to what goes on inside: that had been Winry's area of expertise. And, since she was usually just a phone call away and she did maintenance on my limbs often enough, I didn't think I would someday NEED to know the inner workings of my limbs.

That was biting me in the ass now…

"JARVIS, keep track of the pieces, will ya? Documented scans and everything, pictures and diagrams included," called out Tony as he began working.

"Of course, Sir," replied JARVIS and I leaned my head back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to spot where Tony had hidden the speakers and cameras needed to let JARVIS function as he did.

Meanwhile, I heard Tony mumbling under his breath as he kept tinkering, moving my arm to get a better angle. It didn't take too long before he managed to remove the top plate, near the shoulder, twisting it in his hands as he examined it.

"_Damn, Short Stuff, what did you do to your arm?_" he asked and I glanced to the side, noticing it was the piece that had been dented because of…

"_Schmidt, the Red Skull, was annoyed with how meddlesome I had become,_" I replied softly, going back to my chips and dumping a bunch in my mouth. "_I'm just glad he didn't rip the entire arm off…_"

Tony had stopped playing with the metal plate, his gaze studying my arm carefully. I also took a moment to examine it and, even with the bandages still around the elbow area, I could make out multiple smaller dents and scratches littering the entire arm itself, souvenirs from all the fights I had been in in the last four years.

Fights in Amestris and on this side.

Tony and I caught the other's gaze and held it for a moment. I tried to read him but… I still couldn't. That damn man did resemble Mustang: I hadn't been able to get a good read on him either. Several heartbeats passed before Tony breathed deeply, placing the metal plate down and continuing on to the next one without passing a single comment.

Weird…

We were quiet as he continued removing each plate until my upper arm was exposed. Tony hummed as he examined the inner workings of my arm, poking at it from time to time.

"_Alright, is it this bolt here?_" he asked, pointing to one in particular near the shoulder port.

I could somewhat see where he was pointing to and nodded. "_Yeah, that's the one_."

He scanned over his tools, grabbing another screwdriver. "_You're sure about this? You're not going to throw a tantrum once I take the arm off?_" he asked, moving the tool closer to the bolt.

I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to continue. "_Don't make me regret this decision._"

He mumbled something so low, I couldn't make it out as he untightened the bolt. I glanced in his direction as his focus was purely on my arm, noticing how concentrated he was at what he was doing.

Well, I had to admit, even though he seemed to be an asshole concerning people, he did give a greater focus to anything mechanical.

Just his robots were a prime example: there didn't seem to be a scratch on them even though Tony had explained that Dum-E had been built years ago.

Speak of the devil.

"Long time no see," I mumbled as Dum-E stopped rolling next to me, his claw opening and closing in greeting followed by several beeps. The robot's claw moved past me to peer at what Tony was doing, looking almost curious. "Yeah, that's my arm."

Dum-E beeped once more just as I felt the weight of the automail get disconnected from the port.

Well, it was official: I no longer have an arm.

I watched as Tony gently set the prosthetic down, still studying it carefully before focusing on the piece that connected to the port.

"_So, do you have an idea of how your arm even works?_" he wondered, beginning to poke around the insert.

"_It's connected to my nerves. The port,_" I motioned to my shoulder, "_acts like an intermediate between my nerves and the electrical wires of the arm, amplifying my body's natural current._" That at least I knew. How all that was done though… I didn't necessarily bother learning it from Winry.

Again, I should have probably listened to her when she had tried explaining it to me…

"_So, if I'm understanding this correctly_," began Tony, brining a small light up to my port. "_After your arm was amputated – in a way I don't need to know – all of your exposed nerves were then connected to wires? Individually?_"

"_As close to individually as possible_," I replied with a shrug, trying to push back the memories of those weeks of operation. I didn't exactly remember everything that had happened but, what I did remember was the pain... It wasn't something I wanted to relive…

Tony nodded and I waited a moment for the eventual comment that would follow but… nothing. Weird, he usually had a snarky reply to everything I said. Instead, he was eyeing my automail and then my port, frowning slightly, almost as if he was thinking.

About what? I didn't have the faintest idea.

"_How about the leg?_" he asked suddenly, rolling his way around me, motioning towards my left leg. "_Is it connected in the same way?_"

"_Yes, under the knee cap, on the left side of it_," I replied, focusing on his question instead of what could possibly be going on in his head. I bent forward, pulling my sock off and rolling up the loose pants. Tony, meanwhile, positioned himself in front of me and waited. I finally got the fabric all the way past my knee and leaned back just in time to see him stare a little too much at the port.

Most likely at the scar tissue around it.

He lifted his gaze and met mine. With a heavy sigh, he massaged his face before motioning for me to lift my leg.

Still, not a single comment from him.

As I had thought before, for someone who had something to say about pretty much everything, he was being uncharacteristically quiet.

And it didn't sit well with me because I could almost for certain say that it was partially from pity that he refrained from saying anything.

"_I told you, I don't need pity_," I finally snapped, still not having lifted my leg like he had wanted.

He sent me a look. "_And what pity have I given you, Short Stuff?_"

"_Your lack of snarky comebacks, for starters_."

"_I thought we had started over? You want to go back to throwing insults at each other at every turn?_"

I groaned in frustration, massaging my temple. "_Not exactly insults. You have had something to say since I got here! And now, when you see my prosthetic limbs, when you find out how they're connected, what had happened to them, that's when you_ suddenly_ have nothing to say? Don't bullshit me._"

Tony didn't answer and I stared at him for a moment before growling once more, going to cross my arms but forgot – _again_ – that I couldn't… Instead, I ran my hand through my hair, messing it up. "_Yes, as you may have assumed, I've been through shit but what I don't need from people is them treating me like I'm going to break_," I snapped, pointing a finger towards him. "_And, even though you are clearly an irritating person, you hadn't treated me like that. Just keep doing what you had been doing and we'll get along just great_."

He didn't particularly look convinced and I was about to snap once more because if he thought that treating me any differently was going to work, then –

"So, we go back to how it was for the past week? That wonderful week?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Oh… Well, if he put it that way… I waved him off. "Fine, slightly better than the past week."

"And I get to keep calling you Short Stuff."

I paused, breathing deeply, as I stared at him, unamused. "You are still an asshole."

"As long as we're on the same page."

"_Unbelievable_," I muttered before a smile broke across my face. This interaction felt better though. I may have gotten used to him being annoying that anything else from him seemed… disingenuous.

"_And, off the record, Short Stuff,_" began Tony, his tone different than it had been before, "_I don't think you're going to break._"

Well, that was a surprise. A small smile spread across my face as I nodded, looking away and rubbing my nose. "_Thanks._"

There was a moment of silence between the two of us before Tony cleared his throat and motioned for me to lift my automail once more. "_So, leg? I ain't getting any younger._" And there it was, his tone back to how it had been, like the previous conversation hadn't happened.

I was fine with that actually.

I did as he asked, raising my left leg and he grasped it, leaning it against his own leg as he examined it. I continued to munch on the chips as Tony manoeuvred my leg and foot around, inspecting it and…

He frowned for a moment as he stretched my left leg completely, glancing between my automail and my real limb. He suddenly rolled forward and reached down, grasping my right leg as well and lifting it. I cried out, my body shifting awkwardly and the bag of chips tumbling off my lap before regaining my balance on the chair. Tony, meanwhile, had ignored my outburst as he laid both my legs on his thighs, scrutinizing both of them together, comparing them.

"_What do you think you're –?_"

"Your left leg is half an inch shorter than your right," he stated, cutting my off as I stared at him and then my legs, my mouth hanging open.

"What…?"

"Your prosthetic is too short. I'm surprised you haven't been off balance," he remarked, readjusting his grip and comparing the legs once again.

I stared at him in surprise. I had… grown? I thought I had finished with that, that I was going to remain… at my current height. Had – had it been because of the serum? Steve had grown significantly when he had been injected with the full serum. Maybe a part of it would help only somewhat?

"Well, if you hadn't been off balance before, when you'll get the newer version, you'll have to get used to it and I foresee several mishaps. I'll have JARVIS record all of them," added Tony with a smug smile, dropping my legs back to the floor as he rolled back towards the table with the tools.

"_Fuck you_," I grumbled as I stared at my legs. There truly was a difference that I hadn't noticed? Well, that was technically good news. However, it was true that readjusting to a longer leg was going to take a few days… The times it had happened with Winry's automail had me stumbling through the Rockbell house as I had tried to get used to the difference.

"So, what do you want to start with? Broken arm or upgraded leg?" asked Tony he rolled back, screwdriver in hand. "Is it easy to put the limbs back in if we take them off?"

"Relatively easy," I replied, not mentioning the pain that went with reconnecting said limbs. "Well, I'd prefer to get a functioning arm first. My leg is still fine."

Tony nodded, taping the screwdriver on his knee. "True. Can you part with your leg for the night while I run scans on it? That way, you get your leg back while I work on the designs for your new prosthetics."

Well… That sounded fair enough. "Fine," I agreed, reaching down and grabbing the bag of chips from the floor.

Tony got to work on my leg, letting it lean on another chair as he took off the front plates. I continued to eat and a… surprisingly comfortable silence fell between us, only broken from the crunch of my chips and the tinkering Tony was doing.

"So, this bolt?" he asked, pointing to the large one just about the knee joint.

"_Ja_."

He nodded as he returned his focus on my leg and, after a few minutes, that was it… My leg was also gone.

Tony lifted the leg, testing the weight for a moment before rolling around me once more, back to the table. "_Don't run away, Short Stuff_," he stated, placing the leg down.

I sent him a look and he just smirked, focusing on my automail.

"_Asshole_," I grumbled, finishing the chips and slouching down.

I swiveled in my chair, staring up at the ceiling, as Tony tinkered away on my leg. I glanced in his direction from time to time and had ventured some questions but, as time progressed, he answered less and less.

Until he was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't hear me anymore.

Well, that sounded a little too familiar…

I couldn't even count the amount of times it had happened to me while I was researching, back in Amestris and on this side.

So, for the moment, I sat in silence, scanning over everything else in the lab.

That armour several tables away was still a mystery.

Did Tony truly need a suit of armour to protect himself with? Because he was Howard Stark's son? What did that entail? Was it a normal occurrence to have strange and dangerous men hovering at the edge of the property? Was that why he needed protection?

But they had said I may be useful… Was there something on the property that was important?

I glanced around at what was in the lab but… honestly, I couldn't exactly tell what was rare or of importance because almost everything was new to me. I wouldn't know where to begin.

Sighing, I slouched in my chair even more, swivelling as Dum-E beeped next to me, rotating his claw around in a questioning manner. "'m fine," I yawned, leaning my head back.

Maybe closing my eyes for a moment may help pass the time faster. Why hadn't I brought the tablet down with me?

I almost scoffed out loud. Because I brought food down with me instead and I had eaten almost everything.

Maybe I could –

"J, music."

I jumped, nearly falling clean off my chair as… I couldn't even call it _music_ blared from the hidden speaker, nearly deafening me.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I yelled out, covering my left ear as my right was abandoned to the cacophony of whatever was still –

The volume level thankfully lowered by then and I groaned, already feeling the after effects on my eardrums. Oversensitive hearing was useful most of the time but not when the decibel level climbed that _fucking _high.

"That was an… interesting reaction," remarked Tony but he sounded so far away as I focused on breathing and the ringing in my ears.

"Seriously, are you fucking deaf?" I growled out, massaging my ear even though I knew it wouldn't do me any good…

"Just forgot you were still here," he mumbled and I finally glanced towards him, frowning.

"You forgot? And your music is at that high of a volume for fun?!"

He shrugged, eyeing me for a moment before going back to my automail. "I didn't realize it was that high. J, keep the volume at a lower level when Short Stuff is around."

"Dully noted, Sir."

And he went back to working.

That was it.

"_Bastard…_" I grumbled, massaging my ear again as I slouched in my chair. Truly unbelievable that–

Shit… I called him 'bastard', the comparison truly has settled in. Damn it…

I tried to ignore that realization as I focused on something else. Anything else that may… may…

I stared at the ceiling as I listened to the music, not finding it half bad. It was completely different from anything I had heard in the 1940s and… I was starting to enjoy it. I hadn't particularly paid attention to how music had changed and this was a very clear proof that it had.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the music, feeling my foot tap along with the upbeat rhythm and a ghost of a smile spread across my face.

Yes, this I could get used to.

I sat there for several songs, each one similar to the previous one, probably from the same band and, so far, I didn't dislike any of them.

"You don't need to stay, Short Stuff," said Tony, pulling me away from my thoughts with a surprised intake of breath.

I nodded, pushing myself up and stretching before turning towards him. He hadn't exactly stopped examining my leg but I did catch him glancing in my direction.

"I know you're stubborn but a bed is more comfortable than a chair," he added, motioning to said chair with a screwdriver.

He had a point but I still made a face in his direction before glancing towards the stairs. This was going to be interesting. I turned my back towards the exit and was about to push myself in that direction when I caught Tony send me a disbelieving look.

"As amusing as it would be to see you attempt to climb those stairs," he began with a shake of his head, "there's an elevator through those doors. Roll that way."

I huffed but did as he suggested, murmuring a "Thanks," as I rolled past him, towards said doors. I dodged around the other tables and whatever lay on the floor before reaching the –

Oh wow, okay, I hadn't been expecting that.

The doors had opened by themselves, revealing a smaller room and the elevator Tony had been talking about. I pushed myself in that direction and those doors opened by themselves as well.

"Thanks, JARVIS," I called out, giving myself a good push to get into the elevator and –

I cried out as I toppled over, the chair having got stuck on something. I landed flat on the ground in the elevator, the chair clanging to the ground further away.

Well that was just _great_.

"And the saga of mishaps begins," called Tony and I could somewhat hear him trying to muffle his laugh.

"_Fuck you, asshole!_" I called back, pushing myself up before rubbing the back of my neck.

"Are you in need of assistance, Ed?" wondered JARVIS.

I glanced up, shaking my head. "Nah, thanks though," I replied, pushing the chair back onto its wheels.

"J? Since when do you call someone by their nickname?" asked Tony, confused. At least he had stopped laughing and I somewhat heard him moving in my direction.

"He didn't want to be referred to as Mr. Elric, Sir. I do try to respect people's wishes on certain things."

By then, Tony had come up to the elevator, still looking confused. I just sent him a satisfied smirk at how I got his creation to somewhat listen to me instead. I pushed myself onto my knee and then my foot, using the chair as leverage as Tony just rolled his eyes.

"You truly are stubborn, Kid," he mumbled, pressing the button in the elevator.

I scoffed, flopping onto the chair. Little did – did he…

"Did you just call me 'Kid'?" I mumbled in shock as the doors closed.

Even though Tony looked like he wanted to escape, there wasn't exactly anywhere to go as the elevator went up. I stared at him for a moment before I shrugged and asked, "Why are you even coming up?"

He seemed to untense at the question and I figured that was the best way out of this awkward situation. It may have just slipped out for Tony, probably from what Howard had told him for years… Since I didn't think we were there yet to discuss my old nickname, I figured changing the subject would be best.

Damn it, Howard…

What had happened to him after Steve and I had disappeared…?

That was going to be a discussion in a very long time at this rate.

"Coffee, Short Stuff," he replied with a shrug and an amused – was that fake? – smirk. "I will be up late taking a look at your metal limbs. Unless you want to spend several days in that chair?"

I rolled my eyes as the elevator doors opened and I made sure to be careful navigating over the separation between the elevator and the main floor, not wanting to recreate the same scene as downstairs in the lab.

"I'd rather not," I replied, swiveling towards him and frowning.

"Pity."

"_Have I told you that you're an annoying, irritating –_"

"Gotta find some new insults, Short Stuff," he said, cutting me off and giving my chair a good push across the living room floor.

I just flipped him off as I rolled past the sofa.

"ED!"

Oh!

"Hi Pepper," I called, having passed her already and continuing across…

Maybe I should stop. I tried braking with my remaining leg, just managing to do so before I hit the far fall.

Meanwhile, Pepper was just staring at me, her eyes wide and breathing short. True, I hadn't told her specifically about my leg and now… it was clear from the empty pant leg that it wasn't there anymore. On top of that, my port for my arm was clearly visible because of the undershirt.

"I'm fine," I started which, too be honest, is how I started a lot of conversations concerning my limbs. "Tony's just working on them. I'm supposed to get my leg back tomorrow."

"Leg…," she repeated softly, her gaze focused on my missing automail.

"I'm. Fine," I repeated which seemed to snap her out of her starring as she nodded, looking as if she was refocusing herself.

It would probably be a good idea to not mention the attack on the beach to her…

She took a deep breath and then another, holding out her hands in front of her before she nodded again, turning towards me. "Right. Even though… this," she motioned with a vague wave towards my legs, "is new, I am glad that the two of you sorted through… whatever it was that happened."

"Oh, we didn't," called out Tony with a smirk, coffee cup in hand. "He's still Short Stuff."

"And he's still an asshole," I added, flipping him off once more.

He just sent me a thumbs up before entering the elevator once more and leaving Pepper and myself alone.

"Why do I put up with the two of you…?" she mumbled, massaging her face.

* * *

_Does Tony know German in the MCU? Good question. In the comics, however, he does. And, let's not forget about Howard… So, my headcanon was that Howard forced him to learn many languages (like Ed knowing many languages!) and voila! Ed and Tony can communicate in German! :D_

_Let me know what you thought! :D_

_Stay healthy everyone!_


	9. Chapter 9 - Playing House?

_Once more, thank you SO MUCH to all the wonderful readers! I love you all so much! Thank you for taking the time to read, review, favorite, alert, or anything else! It's so wonderful to know that this story is appreciated! :D_

_I know these are difficult times so I hope this story helps you guys!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously:_

_Ed had agreed to leave her automail limbs with Tony for him to do some scans. Tony had promised to return the leg the next day because it was still functional. _

* * *

_The next day_

"Warn me before you reconnect it," I said as I eyed Tony carrying my leg from the table to where I was sitting.

"So you've mentioned a few times already, Short Stuff," he replied with a huff, taking his own seat and dragging a third seat closer to us to lean the automail against. "Still not clear as to the 'why', though."

I hadn't told him about the pain when the nerves reconnected and wasn't planning on telling him either… I didn't think I needed to. I was already mentally preparing myself for the reconnection and I should be able to contain most of the discomfort.

Should.

If he warned me before doing it, everything should go smoothly.

I lifted my left leg and watched as he positioned my automail against the chair in a way that it was close enough to the port for the reconnection. As Tony got the necessary tools assembled, I studied the leg, trying to see if anything had changed since last night, if he had somehow tampered with it in some way.

Yes, I trusted him but not completely either… If anything happened to this leg, I was stuck rolling myself around for the foreseeable future and I did not like that image.

"So, we just do what we did yesterday but in the reverse order," stated Tony, glancing towards me, probably for confirmation.

I just nodded and he went back to his tools as I mentally prepared myself for –

"What are the two of you up to now?"

I jumped slightly, glancing back to see Pepper enter the lab. From her position, she probably couldn't tell what exactly was happening because of the tables and my body in the way.

Hopefully it didn't look too weird…

"Getting my leg back," I replied, still hearing Tony moving around so I figured I still had time. Besides, I told him enough times to warn me.

Pepper hummed in acknowledgment as she approached, trying to get a better view. True, she hadn't seen my automail leg, just me missing said leg.

"Since it still works, I was going to –"

_FUCKING SHIT!_

I yelled out loudly, my leg jerking horribly and I fell straight off the chair.

I thought I did.

Maybe…

There – there was just…

"_DAMN IT!_ _I TOLD YOU TO WARN ME!_" I bellowed, my eyes squeezed shut.

I tried to focus on my breathing and ignore in the stabbing pain in my leg; ignore the yelling that was probably coming from Pepper; ignore that for some fucking unknown reason Tony didn't fucking WAIT to reconnect me damn leg!

"Damn, Short Stuff, I thought being distracted would help, like ripping off a band aid."

I only barely managed to open my eyes to squint in Tony's direction and, through gritted teeth, replied, "_Nerves aren't fucking skin, asshole!_"

I laid my head back down as I took a few more deep breaths. Another moment passed before I slowly pushed myself up, wiping the sweat off my forehead. I then glanced at my leg, testing it out slowly by moving the joints. At least it was still functioning properly…

Then I turned towards Tony who was kneeling next to me, also staring at my leg.

"Ed? Are you alright?" asked Pepper worriedly, kneeling on my other side.

"I'll be fine," I managed to reply before glaring in Tony's direction. "_Why didn't you listen to me when I said 'Warn me'?_"

He finally stopped examining my leg, turning his attention to me. "_Why didn't you tell me that it was a painful process to reconnect your limbs?_" he questioned instead.

"_Don't turn this on me!_" I snapped, not liking how he constantly avoided my questions. "_You just needed to tell me when you were going to attach it! That's all I asked for!_"

"_I'm making you new limbs, brat! And it's pretty important piece of information to know that the whole process is CONSTANTLY painful!_" he snapped right back, motioning towards said limbs.

"_It's not constantly painful!_"

"_Really?_" he scoffed, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. "_Getting those ports to attach each of your nerves wasn't painful? Screwing metal to your bones for those ports wasn't painful? Attaching the limbs? Getting used to prosthetics? The sheer weight of carrying them around? Any significant change in barometric pressure? Tell me when they're not hurting, it'll be a shorter list!_"

I opened my mouth to retort but…

He may have a point.

And I didn't like that.

"Alright, not only do the two of you constantly bicker," sighed Pepper, "but now you're doing it in German, a language I do not understand. Can the two of you spend _one_ day, just one without fighting?"

Tony and I stared at each other but I figured we both knew that would be an empty promise to Pepper…

"_Next time, you need to warn me,_" I said more calmly, ignoring the part of the conversation about the pain my automail caused me.

"_The next time your limbs are getting attached will be to a modified port or something I need to create, Short Stuff,_" was his response as he shook his head, pushing himself up and heading to one of the tables.

He was mumbling to himself by that point as he opened a screen but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Was he even speaking English…? Maybe he was and he was just too far away… He had noticed that I heard him well enough the first day here so he was probably being cautious.

"Do you need help getting up?" wondered Pepper and I felt slightly guilty for having forgotten that she was still kneeling next to me, still looking worried.

"I'm good, thanks though," I replied, managing to stand and ignore the few jolts of pain from my leg, the remnants of the nerves reattaching themselves to the wires.

Pepper stood as well, eyeing me carefully before sighing softly and nodding. "Alright, have you eaten lunch?" I shook my head and she motioned for me to follow her. "Tony, we're going out to grab some food, what did you want us to bring you back?"

"Nothing," was his response.

"Cheeseburgers it is," was hers.

I glanced back at Tony and caught a smile on his face as he continued to work on the screen, a type of smile I hadn't seen from him… ever.

And that had been caused by Pepper.

Maybe I was getting better at noticing certain things!

* * *

_Several days later_

I entered my room, spotting right away a box laying on the bed.

Weird, what could that be? How did it even get in my room?

Was it even safe to…?

Wait.

"JARVIS? Where did the box come from?" I asked, glancing up towards the ceiling. If anyone was to know how it showed up or if it was safe, JARVIS would.

"It is more clothes and other items," he replied matter-of-factly and I blinked, surprised by the response.

More – more clothes? Didn't I have enough? I thought back at what Pepper had first gotten me: it had already been nearly as much as I had back in the 1940s; of all the items I had accumulated within YEARS and these were during less than a month. And I was getting more… clothes…?

A part of me thought it was too much but another part of me…

I was a little excited to get new clothes.

"Thanks," I said to JARVIS, approaching the box quickly.

I managed to tear the tape off the top of the box after a few failed attempts: it was not easy with just one hand…

Once I popped the top open, I moved the bubble wrap aside and spotted the new clothes. I couldn't help smiling at the sight of them. I gently lifted the first article, a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt unfolded in front of me.

Well, I had to admit, Pepper had good taste in clothes.

I slowly set the shirt down and reached into the box once more, pulling out another long-sleeved shirt, this one light grey.

"Pepper is spoiling you."

I jumped in surprise, not having heard Tony walk up to my door. He was casually leaning against the frame, nodding towards the box.

"_It's not spoiling if the person is grateful for whatever was given_," I replied, rolling my eyes and pulling out a tank top.

"_Who ever said that?_" he asked smugly.

"_What do you want_?" I replied instead spotting a set of shoes as well in there. Wow… New shoes too?

"_I don't want anything, Pepper does. She wants to know what to order for dinner for the two of us. Your choice, Short Stuff,_" he explained with a shrug.

I paused in emptying the box and turned towards him, thinking it over. "_Good question_, _what haven't I tried?_"

Tony didn't even hesitate as he nodded, pushing off the doorframe. "Sushi it is," he stated, already turning heel and walking away.

"Wait! What's that?" I called after him, jogging to the door.

"You'll see, Short Stuff!" he called back without glancing back.

I sighed loudly, rolling my eyes as I walked back into my room. He is still such a pain in the ass…

"_Why couldn't he just answer the damn question?_" I mumbled, scratching my head out of irritation. This was ridiculous… Once I was finished with the clothes in the box, I could just look it up on the tablet and…

I paused, remembering that, even though Tony hadn't wanted to answer the question, someone else might.

"JARVIS? Mind telling me what sushi is?" I asked, glancing at the ceiling.

"Sushi is Japanese dish consisting of rolls of rice served with a garnish of raw fish, vegetables, or egg," he answered.

That was so much simpler than with Tony. "Thank you," I said, trying to remind myself that I could ask JARVIS when I had questions.

I didn't need to do this alone.

That was a warming thought as I continued to see what else Pepper had gotten me. There were pairs of pants, both jeans and some loose-fitting cotton ones, a few more shirts, sweaters, and another pair of shoes.

And…

What's this?

I pulled out a smaller, colourful box, the last item of… the last…

OH!

"_Fucking shit!_" I threw the smaller box into the bigger one, whirling towards the door, praying that Tony hadn't somehow magically showed up again because I had no idea how to explain to him why a box of items for me contained a box of TAMPONS on top of everything else.

Thankfully, Tony wasn't there but… These items were from Pepper. Did she…? Had she somehow figured it out? I glanced at the clothes but I couldn't see anything drastically different from the ones she had already given me. These must still be men's clothing.

Then…?

"Miss?"

I jumped, my gaze snapping to the door once more. "JARVIS, what if –?"

"You must give me more credit, Miss," he cut in and I could almost picture the look of exasperation he would be wearing. "Sir is back in his lab and Miss Potts has left for the day. No one is within earshot."

It took a moment but I huffed in acknowledgement: JARVIS knew where everyone was in this house at any point, he wouldn't purposely screw up my pronouns in front of someone, especially considering he had been careful since I had arrived.

"Fine," I mumbled, flopping onto the bed. "What did you want to say?"

"From the look of panic on your face and your reaction, I gathered the… extra box with your clothing items gave you frightful thoughts," he explained and I rolled my eyes, nodding none the less. "To calm your nerves, Miss, I can assure you that Miss Potts wasn't the one who ordered them."

"That's not exactly calming anything, JARVIS," I snapped because if it wasn't Pepper than it would have been –

"I had added them to the order," he said.

Oh. Mental note, orders are done on the internet. JARVIS has access to said internet. It must not have been hard for him to quietly add the tampons without anyone knowing.

"Thanks, JARVIS," I finally murmured, reaching into the box and pulling them out. "I was going to need them soon."

"My pleasure, Miss," he replied. "And if you need any other feminine products, let me know and I shall place a discreet order for you."

I smiled up at the ceiling, nodding. Well, at least this part was going to be easier than it had been back in the 40s. At least once Peggy found out I had her to help. Before, however, especially when I had been travelling around the United States with Steve, I had to find creative ways to sneak away, not only to use said products, but to purchase them too.

With a small spring in my step, I headed to my bathroom and stashed the box away under the sink, behind some cleaning supplies before heading out.

Maybe I could bug Tony to see how far he had progressed with my arm before the food arrives.

* * *

_Two weeks later – Tony's POV_

Tony climbed the stairs from the lab, finally listening to his stomach that was in desperate need for _some_ food. He didn't particularly know what time of the night it was nor did he particularly care either.

He had work to do! Not only work on his suit but work on the metal limbs for the unannounced teenager that was dropped in his lab nearly a month ago.

Speaking of…

Tony slowed his walk as he spotted Edward laying on the living room sofa, sprawled out on his back, his only hand under his sweatshirt making it rise over his stomach and, to top everything off, he was completely, fully asleep.

"Was your bed not good enough?" mumbled Tony out loud, shaking his head as he continued on his way towards the kitchen to… to…

He stopped, something catching his eye.

Even in the dim light of the room, Tony could still spot _something_ different about Edward's exposed stomach. He hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to just keep heading towards the kitchen to get his food and return to the lab before he finally decided to turn heel and make his way over to the couch, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The closer Tony got, the more the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach grew.

With a sigh, he sat down on the coffee table, leaning his head against his hand as he stared at the clear as day scar tissue on Edward's stomach. Just with a quick glance, Tony could tell there was at least two different injuries that had left those scars.

And, those added to the ones around the ports of the prosthetic limbs.

Tony rubbed his arc reactor, knowing all too well what scars lay around that and how he still had moments of pain from them.

A part of him wanted to know what the hell had happened to this teenager but the other part knew he wouldn't like the answer.

If he ever got a straight answer from the stubbornly secretive guest to begin with.

Not only answers concerning those scars but also on what Edward had apparently failed to do in the 1940s.

And that gate…

Tony could still clearly picture the scene when that monstrosity had appeared in his lab. Even though he had gone through the video feed multiple times, running a multitude of tests, he was nowhere near figuring out what in the world it was.

Which created even more questions on who exactly Edward was and where he had come from.

From what he had been told – all too often from dear old dad – that teenager had arrived with Dr. Erskine and had followed America's golden boy around after the Doctor's death. But… Not much had been known about him from before that time.

For Tony, it was a little too convenient that the town Edward had grown up in had been destroyed.

Maybe one day, he would have an answer.

In the far, far, very far future…

"What are you doing?"

Tony looked up to see Pepper making her way across the living room from the other side of the couch. The moment she spotted Edward sleeping, however, the confused smile on her face turned into a slightly guilty look.

It wasn't exactly necessary because Edward hadn't even stirred.

"To answer your question, I'm trying to determine whether I should draw a mustache or glasses on him," said Tony instead with a shrug. It may not be his favorite pastime, lying to Pepper, but he preferred that at the moment than sharing his jumbled thoughts with her.

When he had sorted through them better, perhaps.

Pepper gave him a look before shaking her head, glancing back at Edward. As she studied him, Tony studied her. He spotted the exact instant she finally noticed the scars: her eyes widening and mouth falling open ever so slowly.

She continued to stare for a moment before she managed to take a deep breath, schooling her features, returning to her calm and collected demeanor.

"He should not have been a part of that war," she whispered, leaning over the couch slightly and brushing away some of Edward's bangs aside. "He's still so young, I can't imagine how it had been when he had first been dragged into the fight."

Tony didn't add to that comment as he glanced at Edward, picking up on something in particular that Pepper had said about his age. Yes, Tony didn't disagree that the teenager was younger than them but he wasn't _still_ _so young_ age-wise.

However, especially now, while sleeping, Edward did still look like he was in his mid-teen years. And, when they had talked previously, Tony remembered pointing out the something similar concerning the appearance and age of their guest.

Had Edward lied about it to get into the Howling Commandos? Or was it just _ridiculously_ good genes?

"He's growing on you," remarked Pepper suddenly, pulling him away from his thoughts.

Tony leaned back, shaking his head at that absurd declaration. "Absolutely not," he replied quickly with a scoff. "Short Stuff isn't _growing on me_."

However, Pepper was watching him with a knowing smile that he didn't particularly appreciate at the moment. The teenager sleeping on his couch was just an unasked-for time traveler, that was it, nothing more.

Because he didn't need anything more.

No, he didn't…

"Well, I think," began Pepper, still smiling, "that the universe heard your challenge and gave you an answer."

"And what challenge was that?" huffed Tony, raising an eyebrow.

"Remember when you had told me that you didn't have anyone but me?" she replied. "Maybe the universe gave you someone else."

Tony just shook his head adamantly. "You must be joking," he mumbled, leaning once more on his hand.

That apparently made Pepper smile even more as she readjusted her position to sit on the back of the couch and silence fell over them.

Tony didn't need anyone else, he was fine with Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey. Those were the only people he needed in his life.

He didn't need the partially metal, too young-looking pain in the butt who could somewhat keep up with him in the lab.

He...

Tony almost grumbled out loud at the realization that maybe Short Stuff might actually be growing on him.

Maybe, just maybe, – Tony wasn't going to ever admit it out loud – that what he had been told over and over again growing up wasn't… wasn't exactly true…

Well, some was, especially the temper and the attitude part.

However, whatever Tony had been expecting when he had realized that it was _Edward Elric_ that had been unceremoniously dropped on the floor of the lab, the last few weeks proved him partially wrong.

He didn't particularly care for being wrong…

This was a mind puzzle Tony had not expected to ever have to deal with.

He –

Edward then began stirring slightly, catching Tony and Pepper's attention. However, the stirring didn't seem to be him waking up. His face scrunched up and his relaxed demeanor tensed up significantly.

And then the mumbling started.

Out of experience and from the few comprehensible German words coming out of Edward's mouth, Tony knew right away that it was a nightmare that was unfolding.

"Should we wake him?" whispered Pepper, slowly standing as she continuously watched as the nightmare seemed to get worse by the moment. "Tony…?"

The possibilities were running through Tony's mind as to whether or not they should even try touching the teenager in front of them. It could just wake Edward up and give him a quite embarrassing time but it could backfire as well.

Tony had heard enough stories on how this mere teenager could pack a punch when he wanted to and waking someone up from a nightmare that bad may just cause a violent reaction.

Just as Tony was processing his options, Edward rolled suddenly to the side, his arm stretched out in front of him.

"Damn it!" growled out Tony, reaching out quickly and just barely managing to grasp onto the teenager before he completely rolled off the couch.

"Tony!"

Pepper's hushed call barely registered as Tony wrapped his arm around Edward's waist and pulled up, trying to get them both onto the couch. However, the previous fears were materializing as the still sleeping teenager began to struggle in Tony's grasp, making it harder to keep both of them from falling into a heap on the ground.

"_Short Stuff! Come on, you're heavy enough as it is,_" grumbled Tony, readjusting his hold around Edward's stomach and pulling him close.

"Ed, please wake up," urged Pepper as she had moved to the other side of the couch, bending slightly in front of the two of them, reaching out to place a comforting hand on the teenager's head.

And then…

Edward had finally stopped struggling, at least.

But the small whimper that came out of his mouth had Tony tightening his grip subconsciously around the teenager's stomach. That was not a sound he had ever expected to hear coming out of Edward and he didn't want to hear it again…

Tony took a deep breath before saying with a strong voice, "Short Stuff, it's time to wake up now."

That seemed to do the trick as Edward jerked awake, gasping for breath. If Tony hadn't released his grip when he did, he was almost sure this distraught teenager would have elbowed him solidly in the stomach through all the struggling.

Edward stumbled forward, seeming to not realize that he had passed Pepper, knocking into the couch and ungracefully flopping onto it. His breathing was ragged as he still looked lost, scanning the area around him but not seeming to register anything.

"Ed, you're fine," whispered Pepper, slowly reaching out and placing a soft hand on Edward's shoulder. "Just breathe, it'll be fine."

He jerked in surprise but his gaze focused on her, seeming more aware. "What…?"

"You were having a nightmare," she explained, moving closer. "We were trying to wake you."

His eyes widened at that answer. "Oh… Sorry…," he whispered, covering his face and rubbing it harshly.

"Don't apologize!" said Pepper quickly, sitting next to him. "It'll be fine, it was just a nightmare."

Tony bit his tongue at that wording. From Edward's reaction, this was not 'just a nightmare' like what other people have: this was probably leftover trauma from the war, to whatever happened to this teenager.

Whatever had happened that resulted in missing limbs and large abdominal scars.

When Tony returned his attention to Edward, they locked eyes and… it was almost a form of understanding that passed between them: that Tony knew it was a bad nightmare and…

It was almost as if it seemed that Edward recognized that Tony knew exactly what those were.

That assumption wouldn't have been wrong…

Pepper began rubbing circles on Edward's back, pulling the teenager's attention away. That left Tony take a deep breath and untense, unconsciously massaging the area around the arc reactor.

Nightmares… He wasn't a fan of them either.

"I can stay if you want some company," offered Pepper softly, trying to get Edward to look at her.

Edward quickly shook his head, avoiding her attempts. "No, I'll be fine," he replied quickly. "Thank you though… It's late and I wouldn't want to waste your time."

"Ed," she sighed, reaching with her other hand to cup his face and turn it towards her, "never think that me offering to stay with you, to comfort you or to distract you is a waste of time, understood?"

Even if Edward's head was facing Pepper, his eyes were locked on the floor. "Understood… But, I'll be fine. I've had these nightmares before, it's nothing I can't handle. Thank you…"

Pepper waited a moment, studying him carefully, almost as if she didn't believe him. Well, she did have experience with Tony and seeing through his bullshit.

However, she didn't have experience with those traumatic nightmares: Tony had made sure she never knew about them in his case.

Therefore, …

"You heard, Short Stuff, Pepper," began Tony with a shrug, making both of them turn towards him. "He's fine and it's late. Don't think I'll be paying for overtime."

"You don't pay overtime," replied Pepper, staring at him without a hint of amusement.

They stared at each other for a moment before Tony raised an eyebrow, hoping that she knew him well enough to get the message and do as he had suggested.

Thankfully, a flicker of understanding passed through Pepper's features and she nodded. "Fine, I'll be back in the morning with a good breakfast. How do pancakes sound?"

Tony had caught Edward's reaction at Pepper's agreement, noticing the relieved slouch in his posture. It had worked.

Of course it had, it was Tony's plan.

"Whatever tickles your fancy tomorrow morning," replied Tony with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I probably won't eat it anyway."

"More for Ed and myself then," she said as she patted Edward's leg before standing. "Now I hope both of you get some sleep at some point. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," mumbled Edward, glancing up at her slightly.

Tony also echoed the sentiment, already forgetting the part about sleeping: he had projects to work on and he wasn't even the least bit tired anyway.

Pepper eyed him a moment longer before nodding, smiling softly at them and turning heel to leave. The only sound in the room was Pepper's heels clicking away until the door opened, she exited, and the door shut behind her.

That just left Tony and Edward alone in the living room, silence lingering over them. Neither of them moved nor spoke for several moments and, when Tony glanced towards Edward, the teenager was stubbornly staring at the floor, his left hand covering his metal port on his right shoulder tightly.

Once more, Tony wondered exactly how much pain those limbs caused. He had done some research on amputations and what was described as phantom limb pain. So, not only would Edward feel pain from limb he no longer had, he would also feel pain from the metal limbs he did have.

Hence why creating a new arm was taking much longer than expected for Tony: he needed to not only reverse engineer prosthetics that he still had no idea how they had even been created during the 1940s or even earlier, but he also needed – wanted – to improve upon them.

And, after the incident when he had reattached the leg, Tony didn't want to test the new arm constantly _on_ Edward until it was fully upgraded and functional.

That would entail some modifications to his testing phase of the project.

Hence the extended timeline.

A good thing he was a genius or else creating mechanical limbs and his suit at the same time may have been somewhat of a challenge.

Truthfully, however, the truly challenging part in this entire scenario was the teenager still sitting on his couch.

Metal, Tony could handle. Robots, Tony could handle. Mathematical equations that left post-doctorate so-called genius stumped, Tony could handle.

A time-travelling teenager with trust issues, a stubborn temper and a bad connection to Tony's past…

That truly was the challenge.

Neither of them had moved just yet and Tony pondered his next step to face said challenge. Normally, he would do research on a topic he wasn't familiar with. In this case, he felt he was a little too familiar with said topic thanks to his father's constant bragging and comparing that he had done while Tony was growing up.

That wasn't a particularly good start. Tony massaged his neck as he thought…

He paused, reconsidering.

The information he had could be seen as the hypothesis part of the scientific process. Everything he knew about Edward was what he had been told. Now he needed to test said hypothesis to prove whether it was correct or not.

And that entailed spending time with the teenager.

Tony wasn't the fondest of that idea but, it was better than the alternative: _not understanding_.

Just as Tony opened his mouth to possibly suggest something, Edward beat him to it.

"_Do you mind if I join you downstairs in the lab?_" he asked softly, keeping his gaze lowered.

Well, that worked to Tony's advantage. "_You can keep Dum-E company_," he suggested without pausing, hiding his intentions.

Edward finally looked up, a ghost of a smile – a relieved smile – on his face. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Don't mention it. And I mean it, don't." Tony ignored the eye rolling from Edward as he headed to the kitchen, to finally get his meal for the day. "Hungry, Short Stuff?"

"_Do you actually think I'm hungry after what you saw?_" came the snarky response.

"What? You don't gorge yourself with chocolate or ice cream or something?"

There was a lack of a reply from the living room as Tony entered the kitchen, grabbing several snacks from the cupboard for himself and a bag of chips for Edward, remembering how the teenager had finished a bag the other night all by himself.

"Let's go, Short Stuff," called Tony as he exited the kitchen and made his way across the living room to the staircase.

As Edward stood and followed, Tony tossed the bag of chips back. He briefly saw the teenager catch it with one hand, a small smile on his face as he shook his head.

* * *

_In the lab – Tony's POV_

Well, if Tony had been honest with himself, this had not been how he had planned the night to go.

Or any night, to be honest.

But, here he was, probably well past midnight, indulging a teenager's curiosity on nearly _everything_ in his own lab.

And, for the most part, Edward was keeping up with the explanations. Yes, there had been several hiccups when the technological advancements had been too drastic compared to what Edward had known back in the 1940s. This meant that Tony had to backtrack in time during his explanation several times but Edward absorbed everything like a sponge.

Tony had been sure he would have lost Edward at some point, that something would have caused him to tune the rambling of the older man out. It had happened in the past with Obadiah and other Stark Industries employees. Heck, it had even happened with Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey.

It had yet to happen with Edward.

It was – was almost _refreshing_?

Not that Tony would admit that out loud.

Something else he would never admit out loud was that the discussions the two of them were having seemed to have a positive affect on Edward.

When they had first entered the lab that night, Tony had noticed the paleness of Edward's skin, something that hadn't been obvious in the dim light of the living room upstairs. After about half an hour though, in the midst of explaining an engine, Tony had noticed that the teenager's complexion had significantly improved as his focus was solely on the project they were discussing.

Tony had figured when they had been upstairs that Edward had needed a distraction from that nightmare and, of course, he had been correct.

And the distractions were far from being over with the amount of side projects that were laying all over the lab.

"Are we going to keep avoiding talking about the armour?" wondered Edward after another hour as he swivelled in his chair, munching on the bag of chips that he apparently hadn't wanted several hours ago.

Tony eyed the pieces he still had out, debating whether or not to share _that_ project specifically. Heck, not even Pepper knew what he was making or why.

However,…

Hell, why not?

"It is armour, Short Stuff," answered Tony, heading over to it.

Edward seemed surprised by the answer for a moment, probably not thinking that Tony would _agree_ to talk about the pieces. He quickly jumped to his feet, leaving the bag of chips on a table as he hurried over.

"Is it normal for people to wear armour these days?" asked Edward, studying the pieces from afar, not yet touching them even though Tony could see the teenager's hand itching to grab onto something.

"It isn't, no. It's my personal project and, if it works, it may be used for some good."

"Used by who?"

Tony sent Edward a disbelieving look. "Me, of course. I wouldn't trust anyone else with it."

The teenager didn't look impressed by the answer. "Then, first of all, why are telling me? And why is it out in the open where Pepper or myself can see it? Also, who's to say that no one else can make one?"

If Tony hadn't been assaulted with the same type of questions for the past few hours, he would maybe have been somewhat phased. However, Edward's quick fired enquiries have become almost routinely…

Tony didn't know how he felt about that…

"Well, in order," he began, pushing those slightly troubling thoughts aside, "you're not going to make one or go around telling someone about it since you don't leave _my_ house, Pepper gets to see my projects because she doesn't go blabbing to the world about it and, finally, no one will come close to coming up with this. Especially figuring out how to power it."

Edward glanced between the pieces of armour and Tony, not looking overly impressed. "It's a pair of boots, some… gloves and a chest piece with a hole in the middle," he stated, pointing to each item and finishing with poking a finger in said hole of the chest plate.

"Well, aren't you the least perceptive person in the world," grumbled Tony, swatting Edward's hand away.

"What is so special about these, then?" he countered and as he seemed to forget, once more, that he couldn't cross his arms, and the left hand rested on his hip instead.

Keeping his gaze on Edward, Tony motioned towards the line of cars he had, namely the ones that had suffered the accidental fly over with the boots and gauntlets aka the flight stabilizers. He had somewhat salvaged some of them but many of the cars still had damage clearly visible on them. Edward's gaze studied the cars before returning to Tony, looking quite indifferent.

"They burn cars?" he asked with a scoff.

"I burned them as I flew over them while wearing the boots and the flight stabilizers," countered Tony, pointing to the gauntlets before he got a snide question on what he was talking about.

Edward's eyes widened significantly and Tony patted himself on the back for making the teenager react like that. He was most likely impressed with the feat and –

"_Why the fuck would ANYONE want to FLY for the fun of it?!_" exclaimed Edward in disbelief. "_In a large metal tube is bad enough but now, with – with NOTHING between you and the ground except for parts of a suit of armour? WHY?! Why not just keep your damn feet on the damn ground like WE'RE SUPPOSED TO?!_"

Honestly, Tony had not been expecting that level of reaction.

Or even that reaction at all.

It had been so unexpected that…

Tony started laughing. He just laughed.

And the look Edward sent him only made him laugh even more.

"_You've clearly lost it,_" stated the teenager, rolling his eyes. "_Whoever decides to create something to FLY has clearly lost it. Your laughter just proves it_."

"Easy there, Short Stuff," chuckled Tony, shaking his head. "I wasn't going to ask you to fly it."

"I won't ever get into one of these!"

Tony was almost happy to hear those words, realizing that his suit would not fall in the wrong hands because of Edward: he probably wouldn't pick it up. Also, when Tony had been told about the teenager's fear of flying from dear old dad, he had not thought it had been _that_ bad nor that intense of a fear.

Once more, Tony was being proven that the _perfect_ image that had been painted of Edward Elric was not in fact true.

Honestly, he could live with that.

"_So, why the fuck are you so willing do defy gravity and possibly fall like a stone?_" wondered Edward with a huff, motioning to the pieces of the suit.

"I won't fall like a stone, brat."

"_Sure, I'll believe it when I see it…_"

* * *

_Thank you all once again! Let me know what you thought! :D_

_Keep safe everyone!_

_P.S. Some research showed that the first sushi restaurants opened as early as the 1950s in the USA (and even some think it was just in the 1960s), so Ed not knowing what sushi is works out quite well!_


	10. Chapter 10 - Trust Me

_Thank you all so much for all the love this story is getting! I appreciate it SOOOOOOOO much! THANK YOU!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_End of October 2009 – Two weeks later – Ed's POV_

Stuffing the piece of toast in my mouth, I grabbed my notebook, pen, and tablet, trying to keep them balanced in my arm as I left the kitchen, trying to decide where to continue my research for the day. It looked like it was a nice outside so I could go near the pool. I stared out the large windows across the room, debating with myself.

Or I could just stay inside, in my room or in the living room, sprawled across my bed or the couch. That could work too.

But it was a nice outside.

Fine.

I turned heel, heading towards the door to… to…

Who. The. Fuck. Was. That?

There was a tall, strongly-built man standing near the entrance hall, completely still, a slight frown on his face as he watched me carefully with his dark eyes. How had I not noticed him before now? Where did he even come from?

Shit… Was he supposed to know I was here? Was I supposed to have hidden like the time when Obadiah Stane showed up? But then, why didn't JARVIS warn me? Had there been a warning and I hadn't noticed it?

Fuck… I may or may not be in trouble because I had no idea what I was supposed to do in this situation.

And my mouth and only hand are both full.

We continued to stare at each other in silence for several moments until…

The bite I took of the toast finally made the rest of it fall to the floor.

And I noticed the tiniest of hint of a smile on the man's face.

Alright… As I chewed whatever toast was in my mouth, I reconsidered the fear I felt upon seeing him. Maybe he did know about my being here. Maybe he was supposed to be here. Maybe he was a friend of Tony's…?

"So, who are you?" I asked after finally swallowing the leftover toast in my mouth. The man didn't answer as he continued to just stand there in silence. "Why are you here?" I tried and waited a moment, receiving the same lack of an answer. "Do you speak?"

"Oh, he speaks," called out Tony, making me jump in surprise and turn slightly towards the stairs leading to the lab. However, I kept an eye on the man who still hadn't moved, not fully trusting him just yet. "He is a man of few words, though, Short Stuff," continued Tony, heading towards said man and patting him on the shoulder. "Short Stuff, meet Happy. Happy, Short Stuff."

I blinked, eyeing the two men for a moment, trying to determine whether that was his ACTUAL name or it was just another nickname Tony had given out at some point.

Because, if this was what _happy_ looked like on this man, I didn't exactly want to see what _mad_ looked like…

"It's actually, Ed," I said, hoping that might get Happy to reveal if that was his true name or not.

Happy just nodded.

Yes, a man of VERY few words apparently…

"So, Short Stuff, ready to go?" asked Tony suddenly, motioning towards the front hallway.

What – What was he talking about? "Go where?"

"You're not ready?"

"You never told me we were going anywhere!" I countered, still overly confused by what the hell was going on. First, Happy showed up unexpectantly, someone I hadn't seen in the weeks I had been here and now, Tony wanted to go somewhere? I haven't seen him leave the house since I got here!

"Well, I'm telling you now," he stated with a shrug. "Go get some things. It could be an overnight trip. Chop, chop."

"But _where_ are we going?"

"Go get ready!"

"But –"

"I'll tell you once you're ready, Short Stuff!"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance as Tony motioned in the direction of my room. "Fine," I huffed, trudging that way to get my things. As I passed him, Tony tossed a rucksack sized bag in my direction. Apparently, he either didn't realize my left hand was busy or that I only had that one hand so I just let it fall to the floor at my feet. I sent him an exasperated look to which he just shrugged, turning towards Happy.

"_Asshole,_" I mumbled, kicking the bag in the direction of my room as I thought over where the hell we would be going and why we would possibly be staying there overnight.

Sadly, nothing really came to mind…

It didn't really take that long to pack my things: I grabbed some essentials, dumping also my notebook and tablet inside the bag before closing it and heading back.

"Alright, I'm ready, where are we –?"

"Let's go! Road trip!" called out Tony, already heading towards the front door, completely ignoring my question.

I watched the two of them walk away, my mouth hanging open. What the fuck was going on?! Why –?

"Short Stuff, come on!" called Tony.

I took a deep breath, not exactly wanting to lose my temper this early in the morning but Tony was beginning to push it with him bossing me around and being so cryptic on what the fuck was going on.

As I stepped outside, I tried a different tactic, eyeing the two men heading towards the sole parked car.

"And who exactly is Happy?" I asked, motioning towards the man with my head.

The two of them didn't look bothered by the question as Tony just smiled his slightly annoying smile.

Fine, it wasn't exactly annoying, it was just… a knowing smile, one that I had seen on Mustang far too many times over the years.

I didn't particularly care to be reminded of him nor of Amestris at the moment, not when I was still nowhere near figuring out how to decipher the alchemic circles I had…

"He's my driver amongst other things," explained Tony, pulling my thoughts back to the present and the enigma that was this entire situation. His actions didn't exactly help as he was clearly heading towards the driver's side…

"But he's not driving today…?" I tried as I watched Happy head to the passenger's side.

"He's driving back. Hop in, Short Stuff," replied Tony, slipping into the car.

I eyed the car for a moment, debating on whether or not I should just turn around and head back into the house to focus on my research and pretend like this whole nonsense and chaos hadn't happened.

However,… I was slightly curious as to where we were going.

And I hadn't left the house in a while.

Fuck it.

I opened the back door, tossed my bag in and slid in after it. "You better tell me soon where we're going," I said as I slammed the door shut.

"Sure thing," replied Tony distractedly as he put the car into gear and nearly slammed on the gas pedal.

I bit back a gasp as I gripped the seat as best as I could, tensing, as Tony _raced_ down road leading to the house and passed the gate at a ridiculously fast speed.

"_What the fuck, Tony!_" I cried out as he took a turn much too sharply, sending me flying, leaning heavily onto the middle seat.

"Enjoy the ride, Short Stuff!" he replied with a laugh as he pressed on the gas pedal even more on a straight stretch of road.

I hoped wherever we were going was not that far away: I didn't think I would be able to handle Tony's driving for too long. I hadn't realized that cars could go _so much faster, _especially considering Pepper did NOT drive like this. If I was in control it might have been anther story but I had _no idea_ how good of a driver Tony was at this speed! This wasn't proving much to me at the moment.

Maybe if I focused outside and not the road would help.

I had just managed to lift myself slightly and glance out the window as we passed a white parked van. Weird… It was just a blink considering how fast we passed them but I could have sworn one of guys in the front seat had a sort of camera in hand.

"Paparazzi again," said Happy, glancing behind us.

"They usually can't keep up," replied Tony, indifferently.

"They're not even trying."

I caught Tony glancing at the rear-view mirror before he took another sharp turn, losing sight of the white van all together.

"Well, better for us anyway," said Tony with a shrug, thankfully focusing again on the road.

"Uh, what's papa… para…? Whatever you said," I asked, managing to push myself up somewhat. Maybe I should find something to hold onto…

Even though Happy sent me a confused look, Tony answered the question without batting an eyelash. To be fair, I had been asking A LOT of questions in the last two weeks, trying to keep up with everything that I had missed in the last 60 years.

"Paparazzi, they're photographers who try to get pictures of celebrities," said Tony, speeding onto a freeway, barely avoiding multiple cars as he did.

I nodded at the explanation as I readjusted myself in my seat and tried to avoid looking out the window. I didn't need to see how close we got to the other cars nor how fast we were going. Instead, I thought back to what Tony had said.

Celebrities. It had taken a while to think of Tony in that way. To me, he was just a man tinkering away in his workshop. Yes, an annoying and stubborn man but… I didn't picture him as someone overly popular, as someone who everyone knew of.

To me, he was just pain-in-the-ass Tony.

However, him being Tony STARK and the CEO of Stark Industries – something he finally got around telling me… – it would make sense that he was more in the public eye.

Except for recently.

On how he was avoiding the press and even avoiding leaving the house.

The reason for that… I still didn't know.

For the rest of the trip, Tony and Happy chatted about… I wasn't exactly sure what. I caught snippets of their conversation but I didn't focus too much on it as I glanced outside from time to time, trying to ignore how close we passed to other cars.

Those glances outside had been the only warning I got when we pulled up to a… a…

Fucking shit…

Tony parked the car and jumped out, Happy following more slowly, leaving me alone and glued to the seat. I stared out the window once more, slouching down. Maybe they would forget about me because Tony couldn't be serious. This wasn't real.

I. AM. NOT. LEAVING. THIS. CAR.

Tony knocked against my window, bending down slightly to peer inside the car. Damn… He hadn't forgotten… I just glared at him and, when he went to open the door, I grabbed the handle and pulled back.

"Short Stuff, we don't have all day," said Tony, his voice muffled by the car as he tried to open the door several more times.

"You said this was a road trip," I snapped, keeping the door closed. "An airplane doesn't take any roads!" Because that was what we parked next to: a sleek and modern AIRPLANE.

"That's not entirely true. There are air ways that the pilots need to follow. They are considered the roads of the sky," he countered, tugging a few more times on the door.

"I don't care about technicalities, asshole" I growled out. It had been one thing to use an airplane to get to the drop off areas for missions with the Howling Commandos. It was another entirely to get on one for the _fun of it_.

And… I hadn't been on one since _that_ day.

I saw Tony sigh from the corner of my eye as he finally released the door handle and walked away. Good, I wasn't particularly in the mood to explain any of –

The door on the other side opened and I slammed my body away, pressing myself against the door. If he thought grabbing me from there, I would –

Tony slid inside and closed the door behind him.

Well… That was unexpected…

We stared at each other for a moment before Tony sighed, massaging his face. "Look, I get it, you don't like flying. I don't particularly like people driving me around."

"Then why do you have Happy?"

"Believe it or not, Short tuff, he's a friend. A bodyguard but a friend."

It took a moment but I nodded anyway. "So why did you bring me here so I could get on an airplane?"

There was a look in his eyes as he smirked. "I don't think you'll regret getting on the jet. Trust me."

I felt my eyes widen at those last words. Trust him…?

I had with my automail and he had given me my leg back. I had seen the progress he was making on my arm. He hadn't given me much reason to distrust him apart from sometimes being an asshole.

So…

"Where are we going?" I asked again, hoping this time I would get an answer.

He just winked at me as he opened his door. "As I said, you won't regret it. I think."

"_That doesn't actually fill me with confidence,_" I muttered, glancing towards the very modern looking airplane sitting several feet away from the car.

Tony just shrugged as he got out and closed the door, leaving me alone in the car and alone with my thoughts. I watched Tony and Happy head towards the airplane, chatting and I was thankful their backs were to me.

As I eyed the airplane, memories of the last mission filtered through my mind: of the fight against the Red Skull, of him breaking my automail.

Of leaving Steve to crash the airplane into the ocean.

I felt some unease build within me at those memories and… Was it going to get worse once I was in the airplane?

I didn't really want to panic in front of Tony, especially not after he had seen me waking up from a particularly bad nightmare. That had been one time too many...

But…

I was curious as to where we would be going. Tony said I wouldn't regret it.

Well, if I did…

I opened the door and got out of the car, shouldering my bag as I walked up to the two men. Tony was wearing a satisfied smile on his face while Happy… He still didn't really show much emotion on his ever-stoic face.

"I'm warning you," I began, pointing towards Tony, "if I do regret this, I'm kicking your ass."

"Duly noted. Now let's go, we're behind schedule."

Tony climbed up the few steps of the airplane and entering it. Happy frowned slightly in my direction to which I ignored. Since he was apparently Tony's bodyguard and driver, I could imagine he hadn't been too thrilled about my threat. If he only knew about the other conversations I had with his boss.

I sent Happy a look as I passed him and climbed the steps to the airplane as well and entered…

Wow…

Well this was definitely an improvement to what airplanes had looked like back in the 1940s! The chairs actually looked comfortable for one and the sides actually looked like walls. I could almost forget that we were in an airplane.

Almost.

"Anything else before I head back?" asked Happy as he placed Tony's bag in a storage closet.

"Nope, all's good. I'll let you know when we're flying back."

Happy nodded and headed out, calling for a safe flight as he did.

That left me with Tony as he flopped onto one of the seats. "Put the bag away, Short Stuff and buckle up. I told you, we're late."

I rolled my eyes but did as I was told, putting my bag with Tony's and taking a seat on the other side of the aisle.

Was I really going to go through with this…?

Well, with the door closing, the engines starting, and the airplane moving, I didn't really have a choice anymore…

However,… I had to admit, compared to the previous flights I had been on – the ones I try to forget about because I didn't like thinking about any of them – this one was by far the smoothest one I had ever I had ever been on.

As the airplane was taking off, I was ready for the jostling and the shaking from side to side but…

It never came. The only indication I got that the airplane had even taken off the ground – apart from looking out the window which I refused to do – was the change in pressure.

This… This may be –

Nope.

I looked out the window to see how I would handle it. Well, I definitely was not going to handle it: the height we were already at almost made me nauseous.

Alright, I needed a distraction. I remembered my tablet but it was in the closet several feet away. I could handle walking that and back. I could. I…

Honestly, I didn't know if I could or not. Possibly because of how steady this flight was so far. But… I had never actually gotten up during a flight apart from the very first time I was in an airplane.

Where I had jumped out of it with a parachute on my back.

After that one time, any other flight I had been on, I had sat down at the beginning and found a way to distract myself for the duration of said flight without moving.

"Short Stuff, where were you in looking up fiber optics?" asked Tony. I noticed he had his own tablet out and was shifting through something on it.

"I just started on the actual optical fiber itself," I replied with a shrug, thinking back on the last day of research I had done. "I had a lot of reading to do on what came before it and why people decided to use glass or plastic instead of metal."

"Know its past to understand its future," he remarked with a nod.

"Exactly! And, of course, when… _Realizing that signals on metal wires result in a loss, I needed to understand why THAT happened and why it was different on optical fibers_."

"_Which probably lead you to the electromagnetic interference_."

"_And, of course I needed to understand what THAT entailed_."

As the discussion continued back and forth, at some point, I realized what Tony had done. If it was on purpose or not is another story but… I had gotten the distraction I needed.

* * *

Once we had landed, things hadn't exactly improved. At least I had my feet firmly on solid ground but… Tony was driving again and I was sitting in the front, getting and all too clear view of just how fast he was going. I had tried to focus on where we could be going but, looking outside the window at the rapidly passing scenery around us didn't give me any clue as to where Tony had brought me.

I could almost say that we were still in the United States at least.

I mean, I think we were considering the flight was only about five hours. I could be wrong though… Had technology advanced enough to make flights that much faster?

Whatever the case was, Tony of course hadn't given me an answer as to where we were nor where we were going.

When it came to science and technology, Tony was an open book.

On anything else… Apparently the book was shut.

It took about half an hour before we came to a stop in front of a residential house, a quaint blue one with a large front yard. Why were we here? Who lived here?

Tony could have at least mentioned it if we were visiting someone…

Had he even warned that person? Or had he thought he had warned them like what had happened with me? He thought he had told me that we were going somewhere but he never had.

Or…? Did he just say that to avoid telling me in advance?

Why was he being so difficult?!

"Let's go, Short Stuff," said Tony climbing out of the car and heading up the driveway.

I rolled my eyes as I followed him and we climbed a set of stairs up to the front door. As Tony rang the doorbell, I glanced around, trying to get any hint as to why we were at this house in particular.

I did a double take at the number next to the door, frowning slightly. Those… They looked familiar… But I couldn't pin the exact reason as to why.

"Tony, why are we here?" I asked with a sigh. I didn't like being in the dark and I had spent nearly the entire day not knowing what was going on. "Does the person we're visiting even know we're coming?"

"Oh definitely, I got an earful on the phone the other day," he replied with a hesitant chuckle.

"Then why can't you just tell me!" I grumbled, turning heel and glancing down the street. "Why can't you just tell me where we are and what we're doing here? Wherever _here_ even is?! Why –?"

"The two of you are late. I take it that some convincing was required to get Edward on the airplane?"

I froze.

I hadn't heard the door opening.

But that… That voice…

"Nearly had to drag him onto it," lied Tony.

And that laugh…

I – I…

"I may need to drag him into your house at this rate," continued Tony, poking my arm.

How – How could I not have realized? We flew across the country. The address, that's why it was familiar. That was why Tony was being so secretive.

"Edward, it's alright."

No… No, it wasn't… How could I face…? How…?

"From your reaction, it seems it was the right thing to do to not tell you."

And there she was, standing in front of me, smiling down softly.

Peggy Carter.

* * *

_Oh man, a cliffhanger? ;P I had planned on making this a long chapter but... It was all too tempting to cut it off here! (And it'll also give you readers something while I finish off the next chapter!)_

_Let me know what you thought! :D_

_Thank you all so much!_


	11. Chapter 11 - Peggy Carter

_Thank you all so much for all the support! hope you are keeping safe!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: Tony had been overly secretive of the destination of their "road trip" only for Ed to find out…_

_They were at Peggy Carter's doorstep._

* * *

Peggy Carter…

I just… stared. Stared at the same brown eyes that I knew so well. The same face. Her hair was completely grey now, hitting me all too hard once more on how much time had passed.

On how much I had missed…

"Well, you haven't aged a day," remarked Peggy with a soft smile, brushing a hand on my cheek softly.

It took everything I had to not break down right there and then as I clenched my fist and jaw tightly, my gaze unwavering from Peggy's face. Even with the wrinkles, that was still Peggy; I still knew her face all too well.

Sixty years…

Over sixty years…

But, she still remembered me.

"You've done it, you've rendered Short Stuff speechless," said Tony with a hint of amusement, pulling me away from my thoughts.

Peggy sent him a look, attempting to hide her smile. "How you get away with mentioning his height like that is beyond me."

And she remembered me being sensitive about that too…?

Peggy finally lowered her hand from my face as she moved towards Tony, placing her hand on his shoulder and I noticed her grip tightening slightly, a slight shake to it. Tony smiled at her… softly…? Was that even possible…? And then he placed a hand on hers, giving it a squeeze. I began getting a sense that I may have been missing something…

"Shall we?" asked Tony, motioning towards the house with a tilt of his head. "And should I get some tea started?"

Peggy chuckled lightly as she nodded, reaching out her other hand in my direction. I took her hand and the three of us entered the house, Tony seeming quite familiar with the layout as he went directly to the kitchen and I let myself get dragged along.

Even with everything that was happening, I kept getting pulled back to the same thought: I still couldn't fully grasp that we were visiting PEGGY CARTER.

It almost felt like a dream at this point.

I now understood why Tony had refused to mention where we were going. Knowing my sometimes drastic reactions, I would probably have hidden in the house until he had given up on the idea.

So… His secrecy worked in this situation. But, SOME warning would have been appreciated! I had NOT been expecting this visit and even less expecting TONY of all people to be the one to bring me here.

As we entered the kitchen, Tony waved Peggy off from helping him as he got the kettle set up. She shook her head but let him be as she took a seat at the kitchen table, motioning for me to join her.

"Did you want any tea, Edward?" she asked softly, smiling in my direction.

I slowly sat down, shaking my head. Even though my initial shock was wearing off… I didn't think I was going to be able to stomach anything at the moment. One of the things I would have wanted to discuss with Peggy… It was something I still had difficulty digesting, something that created nightmares all too often.

What had happened on that airplane…

What had happened to Steve…

And not knowing how Peggy felt about what had happened.

Would telling her make her hate me…? Would she be disappointed that I hadn't been able to do more?

Or maybe the fact that I hadn't tried to contact her since arriving in 2009?

"Same tea as usual?" asked Tony pulling me back to the present as he went straight to a specific cupboard, opening it and scanning what lay inside.

"The same," replied Peggy as we watched him pull out three cups and setting them on the counter.

The way he moved around the kitchen and the way he talked to Peggy, I was beginning to get the feeling that Tony and Peggy knew each other well…

And I almost face palmed physically at that thought. Of course. Howard would have kept in contact with Peggy and, by association, Tony would have grown up knowing her.

Grown up knowing her…

Then how did it all fit in with Tony disliking Steve and myself? Had he refused at some point to believe what Peggy would have said? Or even refused to hear anything about the two of us because of what Howard had told him? Had Peggy not talked about us for Tony's sake? She must have been a presence in his life the way they interacted and the way Tony knew his way around her home.

This was all too confusing on top of being an emotional roller coaster since arriving here…

Peggy and Tony made small talk as the kettle boiled and I listened in silence, trying to sort everything out in my mind.

So far, my mind wasn't willing to cooperate much…

As I tried to get a grip on my thoughts, I realized that at some point, Tony had pulled out his cellphone and was frowning slightly at whatever was on it.

"Company matters?" wondered Peggy with a tilt of her head.

He frowned for a moment more before shaking his head, putting the cellphone away. "Nah, don't worry about it."

The look Peggy gave him at that made him… fidget? Wow… I guess even after all these years, she still had it in her to be intimidating. I had seen that look many times – and had been on the receiving end more than once – and I knew how effective it was.

And it seemed it worked on Tony as well as he didn't put up a fuss about telling the truth this time around.

"JARVIS sent a message about a security alert at the mansion. They didn't get past the gate though," he answered and my eyes widened at the news. Someone had tried to get in? Why? What was so special about Tony's nearly empty mansion? Did people think it was full of valuables? Was that why they tried to break in?

And… had they known we had left? That the mansion was empty? How would they know though…?

"A good thing you have JARVIS around," remarked Peggy with a hum. "Your house is well protected."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," replied Tony, getting the whistling kettle off the stove.

We waited in silence as he poured out the water and prepared the tea. All the while, I could feel Peggy's gaze pass from me to Tony and back several times but I tried to ignore it.

I still didn't know where to begin with… any of this.

However, Tony seemed to have made the decision for me.

And it wasn't what I had hoped for.

What I had hoped Tony and Peggy could talk first and I could sort through what I would tell her and possibly even mentally prepare myself for the disappointment that could follow.

"I'll let you two gossip," stated Tony instead as he set one cup of tea in front of Peggy before grabbing the other two, "while I go find that husband of yours."

My eyes widened in surprise as I stiffened, watching Tony walk out of the room.

Husband…?

Of – of course Peggy would have moved on. It was only normal.

Steve… He was gone.

She couldn't grieve forever.

But now… I was alone with Peggy.

And I didn't know what to say to her…

No matter how many times I had gone over what this conversation would be like in my mind, I was still not ready for it.

"Has the cat got your tongue?" whispered Peggy, placing a gentle hand over mine and squeezing. "You haven't said a word since arriving."

I guess… I guess I hadn't…

But… the only thing I could think of telling her was…

"I'm – I'm sorry," I choked out, unable to meet her surprised gaze at those words.

I heard her sigh as her grip on my hand increased. "And for what, pray tell, are you apologizing for?" she asked softly. "For being alive? For flying across the country, even though you are terrified of getting on an airplane? For coming to see an old friend?"

All those things… No… I was apologizing for…

"For letting Steve crash that airplane into the ocean," I breathed out shakily.

Peggy leaned closer, bringing her other hand to my head and brushing my hair aside, caressing my head gently. "Darling, you act as if any of us could ever have changed Steve's mind once it was made up. You cannot take the blame for his decision."

Oh… But I could. I had. During all those weeks at Tony's…

"If my arm hadn't been broken, I would have done it, I would have crashed that airplane" I explained softly, voicing what had passed through my mind over and over again. I had tried to ignore it on good days. On… less good… Ton never asked when I holed myself up in my room and I was glad he didn't. "And he could have survived," I mumbled

"But you wouldn't have."

No but…

"I don't belong here."

"Now don't –"

"Did Tony tell you how I showed up?" I blurted out.

She needed to know… I hadn't thought I would… would…

But she needed to know.

Peggy paused before slowing nodding. "Yes, he had even sent me the video."

"Then you saw the Gate that had dropped me there?" She nodded again and I knew I couldn't stop now. "That – that same Gate had dropped me in Dr. Erskine's basement a month before I had met you. I'm not supposed to be here. I should have been the one to crash that airplane because Steve should have survived! I've cheated death enough times. It should have been me…"

Peggy sighed, staring at the table top. I had never told anyone about the day I met Dr. Erskine. Nobody knew. But… Peggy deserved to know, to be told.

"Do you want any tea?" asked Peggy suddenly.

I paused, slightly confused before shaking my head.

Maybe she just needed to do something while this news sunk in.

"Suit yourself," she said, taking a deep breath and fixing me with an intense stare. "Now, listen to me carefully, actions from the past have been done, we cannot change that. It is a tough lesson to learn, I admit, but it needs to be understood. Even I had to remind myself that sometimes… You cannot continue your life blaming yourself for someone else's choice."

I felt a lump forming in my throat at her words, the guilt building up no matter how much Peggy was saying to let it go.

"Steve had made his choice; we all have made some," she continued. "They may be different, they may not have been the right ones but, one thing remains is that they are our own. Remember that." Our choices. Funny, that Gate hadn't given me many choices… "I do not and never will blame you for what had happened on the Valkyrie that day. You and Steve stopped the Red Skull and saved thousands of lives, you need to see that."

I swallowed hard at those words.

Oddly enough… I had not seen it that way since being dumped in Tony's basement. I felt the guilt, the confusion, the grief, the anger after everything that had happened but…

We had saved lives…

That hadn't even crossed my mind…

"I have lived a good life, Evelyn," she whispered, leaning close and caressing my cheek. "Now perhaps it is high time you do as well."

And I broke then.

I had managed to keep my composure since arriving, since realizing that we had travelled all the way here to see Peggy.

But I couldn't keep it together anymore. Without ever admitting it, I had… had been avoiding dealing with… ANY of this. I had focused on learning about 2009, about what I had missed so that I didn't think about what I was actually going to do.

Maybe because, as I had told Peggy, I should not be here. I don't belong here.

I don't deserve to be here.

But… Hearing PEGGY tell me that I do, that I needed to live a life, something I was denying myself…

I heard Peggy scoot her chair closer before she wrapped her arms around me tightly. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, holding on to her tightly as I felt tears stream down my face.

"Oh, Evelyn," she whispered, running her hand through my hair gently. "It'll be okay. You are strong and you don't have to go through all this alone."

Alone… I…

I wasn't… Even though it hadn't started that way, my gut didn't let me believe I was alone.

I hadn't been for several weeks… Not with Tony and Pepper. Heck, even JARVIS and the robots in the lab. And I hadn't even realized it…

And now, Peggy was back in my life.

I just held onto her tighter.

We stayed like that before I finally pulled away slowly, sniffling a bit as I rubbed my face with my sleeve, as if trying to erase all evidence of my very evident crying.

Peggy was watching me, smiling softly as we stared at each other for a moment before I managed to smile back and whisper, "Thank you."

Her smile grew as she patted my cheek. "You do not need to thank me, Evelyn. This is what old friends do." I choked back a laugh at those words, nodding. "Did you want any tea?"

Well, I guess at this point… "Sure, thank you."

She nodded, standing and heading towards the kettle. "So, as we wait, tell me then about where you come from. I'm guessing it isn't from that small village in Germany?"

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "Small village, yes. Resembool it's called. It is known for it's sheep festival like Hartem was."

Peggy listened as I told her about Amestris, about my brother, Winry and Granny, how they had made my automail.

"And I'm guessing Tony is working on an upgrade?" asked Peggy, placing a cup of tea in front of me.

"Thanks, and yes, he is. One for my leg too."

She leaned back in her chair, tapping her cup. "Maybe that was the reason that gate dropped you there then."

I nodded, having thought the same thing.

"And there must have been a reason for dropping you in Dr. Erskine's basement," she continued. "Had your prosthetics been damaged then."

"No…," I began slowly, rubbing my abdomen. "I… I had been part of a coup d'état in my country. The higher ups that ruled had become corrupt and this leader wanted to… sacrifice thousands of lives for his gain. I dealt the final blow on… him. But he had hit me too…

"I was dying… Dr. Erskine saved me."

I didn't specific anything with alchemy because there was no way of proving any of that. And the serum… I didn't want to burden Peggy with that dangerous secret…

I had to see it in the way that I was telling her _something_ more than I had ever told anyone else apart from Dr. Erskine.

Peggy breathed deeply, taking a sip of her tea as she seemed to digesting the story. I don't blame her: it was almost absurd in any normal setting.

Who knew how long she had known I had survived, that I had been living with Tony, before we had arrived today? How long had she had to process this situation?

"Well, from what I've gathered, that gate dropped you with people who could help you," began Peggy thoughtfully. "And, in turn, you ended up helping others. Perhaps that was the goal? So, there is a reason you are here, Evelyn. You are meant to be here. Therefore, no more of that nonsense from before, understood?"

None of that… Oh, of me saying I should have crashed the airplane… That I didn't belong here.

I nodded, finally drinking my tea. "Understood," I repeated.

We stared at each other for a moment, each of us smiling softly before I asked, "Can you tell me about that good life you're living?"

She chuckled, patting my hand. "I will but I have a godson I haven't seen in a few months I need to talk to first."

It took a moment but, once the words sunk in, I nearly choked in surprise. It was a good thing that, at some point during my research, the word 'godchild' had come up and I had to look up what that had meant or else I would not have understood the connection between Peggy and Tony.

I had not seen that coming…

"I had almost forgotten how expressive you are with your emotions," chuckled Peggy with a shake of her head. "Do not let Tony ever rope you into playing poker, you may lose quite badly."

I laughed at that warning, not even entertaining the idea. "The others… I mean, the Howling Commandos, had tried to teach me between missions but I had kept losing. That was enough for me," I explained, remembering how Dum-Dum had mentioned something along a 'horrible poker face'. That was probably what he had meant…

Peggy smiled, patting my hand once more before motioning in the direction of the back of the house. "Perhaps you could tell Tony to come see me? You can keep my husband company in the meantime."

I paused, eyeing that direction, unsure. "Does – does he know about me?" And, if he did, would he know me like Tony had or like Peggy? Or would he just be a neutral party?

"Your being here won't surprise him," she replied almost… cryptically. "They should be in the garden," she added as she smiled some more. I slowly stood, eyeing her for a moment as I grabbed my cup, and walked in the direction of that supposed garden.

She said he wouldn't be surprised so… Did he just think I was some random young adult that travelled here with Tony to see Peggy? That could be somewhat of a good excuse. I would just need to be vague on how I knew the two of them if ever he asked.

Maybe I should have clarified some details before going to see him…

I slowly opened the back door and stepped outside, taking in the flourishing yard that stretched out ahead of me. It was quite beautiful and peaceful looking, I had to admit.

I then heard some laughter further ahead, just on the other side of a large tree and slowly headed in that direction. For some reason, the idea of spending time with Peggy's _husband_, alone, was almost as daunting as spending time with Peggy herself. At least with her, I knew who I was talking too even though it had terrified me not knowing how she would react.

If she would hate me.

Thankfully she didn't.

But, with her husband, I didn't know… anything.

"Short Stuff!" called out Tony.

He was the first one I could see, the other man still partially hidden by the tree and by Tony.

"I guess it's time to switch?" laughed Peggy's husband. "She always was more popular than I was."

Tony chuckled as he stood and I stopped next to him, eyeing the older man still sitting. He –

"Have fun, I'm going to get another earful," muttered Tony as he walked towards the house.

Any other day, I may have been annoyed that he had left like that but my focus was still on the older man who was studying me just as carefully. He looked… familiar? But not _too_ familiar either, it wasn't someone I had seen often.

Where…?

Suddenly, a sad smile broke across his face. "Did you get jealous?" he asked, making me frown in confusion.

"Jealous…?"

He motioned towards my right arm – my missing right arm – and my frown deepened even more. Seriously? The first thing this man notices was that? I guess that, yes, it was an eye sore but still! I –

He then knocked on his right, lower leg and a solid sound came from it.

It – it was a prosthetic?

Jealous?

Familiar…?

"_HOLY FUCKING SHIT! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS?!_" I cried out in shock.

The man leaned back, laughing softly as he motioned for me to take Tony's vacated seat.

But… No way!

I nearly flung my arm, remembering at the last moment that I had a cup of tea, because it had never crossed my mind… I had never thought…

"What the fuck were the chances?" I blurted out, still reeling. "How?! The last time I had seen you, you… you were – "

"Bedridden with a recently amputated leg but enjoying a New Year's Eve with you and the rest of your team," he finished with a sad smile. It truly was…

"Daniel Sousa," I whispered, shaking my head as I finally flopped into the empty chair.

He was the man I had carried passed the Hydra blockade in Volgograd, the one that I had gone to find because I had heard they had amputated his right leg. And the one who sadly had Izumi's doppelganger as a nurse!

"Edward Elric," he replied, raising his tea cup in cheers. "You haven't aged."

I raised my own cup, taking a hesitant sip from it. "Yeah… Uh, long story… And, you and Peggy?"

He glanced back towards the house with a soft smile. "Long story," he echoed. "Heard you've been giving Tony a hard time?"

My eyes widened at that. "I think it's the reverse! He can be…" The rest of the sentence died in my throat as I remembered that, if Peggy was Tony's godmother, Sousa could very well be his godfather. And, even if he wasn't, he may not appreciate me badmouthing Tony seeing how long they have known each other.

Sousa and I had known each other less than a day!

"Yes, I know how Tony can be," chuckled Sousa. "And I wouldn't be surprised if the two of you clashed on more than one occasion."

I nodded, smirking at the memory of the other day in the lab, at that argument we had had, one of many. Hell, even getting me on the other side of the country!

"Had Peggy or Tony told you anything about…" I vaguely motioned to myself, hoping to get the point across.

Sousa shrugged. "I saw the video and got some type of explanation but, at my age, I don't question much anymore. I'm just glad to see Peggy happy with both of you being here. I don't particularly care on the 'how'."

My eyes widened at that reason. Well, I guess that would save me from telling the story again…

"Hey, don't be that shocked," he laughed. "Younger me would have been all over trying to explain your being here and everything. But now…" He just shrugged once more.

I chuckled, nodding. "Fine. So, how did younger you meet Peggy? Can't remember her being at the Hydra blockade when we had met."

"She wasn't. We met a year later," he said.

Then he began his story, about joining the S.S.R. once he could walk again, his work in New York, how people didn't take him seriously because of his prosthetic. That part had me frowning heavily and Sousa had noticed, reminding me it was in the past and there was nothing I could do about it now.

He was right but I still didn't like it. Would the others have reacted that way? Probably not since my automail was more advanced and offered almost as must movement as I real limb. I could still keep up with them.

And possibly kick their ass if they had done what they had done to Sousa…

He continued the story with Peggy joining that office and of her treatment.

"If any of them are alive, I will kick their ass," I grumbled harshly, "doesn't matter what Peggy says."

That just made Sousa chuckle some more.

And then he told me about her secret mission to exonerate Howard Stark who had somehow been accused of treason.

And how some jackass took the credit for completing the mission successfully.

I swear, I will kick someone's ass…

"I'll always remember what she had said that day," began Sousa with a heavy sigh. "Even though I had wanted to set the record straight, she didn't. She said, 'I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter.' It stuck with me 'til this day."

I leaned back in my chair, drinking the last of my tea as I pondered those words.

They truly did represent Peggy all too well. I felt myself smiling more brightly at that thought.

"I see the two of you have been catching up nicely."

I glanced back to see Peggy and Tony standing there, watching the two of us.

"I don't know what they're talking about," said Sousa, with a slight frown, glancing towards me.

I shook my head. "None. They must be imagining things."

"Must be."

Peggy laughed at our antics. "I figured the two of you would get along. Now, dinner time."

"Good idea, before a fight starts," added Tony with an eye roll.

"It'll be a fair fight if it did start!" remarked Sousa as he pushed himself up and grabbed his cane, pointing towards me with it in warning.

Even I laughed at that.

* * *

"Evelyn?" whispered Peggy, giving me a look.

Tony and Sousa had gone upstairs, retiring for the night, having left Peggy and I alone in the living room, sitting across from each other on the couch. I readjusted my position as I turned towards her, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Evelyn," she tried again in a different tone.

"That's… still my name," I replied slowly.

Her look didn't change, if anything, it seemed to be more telling. "Then why do Tony and Pepper refer to you as _Edward_?"

Oh…

I slouched down on the couch, not thinking that that would have been the subject of this conversation.

"Will you tell them?" she continued. "Or will we start this ruse all over again?"

"Well…" I sighed heavily, slouching even more.

I heard Peggy breathe deeply as she scooted closer, leaning in to try to look me in the eye. "From someone with experience on knowing both Tony and Pepper for many years, I can assure you, you can trust them. They will not treat you any differently."

I finally glanced towards her, actually believing those words. "But, I do have a flair for the dramatic," I explained with a chuckle, rubbing my nose.

Peggy smiled and I think she almost rolled her eyes at that comment.

"But… I… I can't believe I'm saying this… I may actually tell them," I finally admitted. "I'm kinda tired of hiding."

And, it was true. I missed having the choice like I had in Amestris. Ever since crossing the Gate, I was imposed being seen as male almost constantly even though, there were times, I just wanted to be feminine. I usually didn't care which gender people saw me as but… I at least wanted to make the choice myself.

"Well, that is refreshing to hear," remarked Peggy, patting my thigh. "Hopefully you won't wait too long, though."

I shrugged. "Maybe not. I don't know… I need to figure out a good time to tell them. Mostly one that doesn't involve me just showing up in a dress one day."

Peggy laughed softly at that comment, shaking her head. "As you said, you have a flair for the dramatic. Let me know how they take it."

"Oh, I will."

* * *

_Now, I know I may get some comments about Peggy and her Alzheimer that appeared in the Winter Soldier. But, remember, this is 2009, several years before that. So, for this story, I wanted to show just the very beginning of it (with her asking about Ed wanting tea on a few occasions). It may not be a lot but... It was kinda how my grandmother started off, so... Yeah._

_Also, I decided to ignore whatever MCU canon/not canon there was about Daniel Sousa and if he ended up with Peggy or not. My fanfic, my rules and I thought they were absolutely adorable in the TV series. So, they're happily married! Yay! :D_

_(And the headcanon floating around that Peggy is Tony's godmother is as adorable!)_

_Let me know what you thought!_


	12. Chapter 12 - Parallel

_Thank you all so much for your support! Here is a shorter chapter but a fun one (because I felt like it and it will help with the later chapters ;P)_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: Tony managed to get Ed across the country to visit Peggy Carter._

* * *

_End of October 2009 – Washington, D.C._

"Ok, and what's that one supposed to be?" I asked, motioning with a tilt of my head.

"You really need to get up to date with pop culture references, Short Stuff," came Tony's slightly muffled response.

"It's been 30 minutes and you've said that at least 6 times already."

"Doesn't make it any less true. Just give the kids some candy, will ya?"

I forced myself not to roll my eyes as two kids walked up to us. "_Bring the bowl closer, asshole_," I mumbled in German, hoping he could still hear me even with the helmet.

"_Not in front of the kids, Short Stuff_," he replied as he held out the bowl. Good, he could hear me.

I grabbed some candy and chocolate and I dumped a handful in each of the kids' bags. They thanked us, turning heel and running back towards the street where their parents were waiting.

"_Seriously, what were they?_" I asked again, not understanding the matching jumpsuits and the weird backpacks with blinking lights.

"_From the Ghostbusters movies. You'll need to start making a list or something_," answered Tony and I could almost hear the smirk even though I couldn't see it under the white helmet.

I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth –

"The two of you better not be arguing now!"

Tony and I glanced to the left, on the porch where Peggy and Sousa were swinging in the hanging bench. Peggy sent us a look and I wasn't sure if the striped hat and round glasses she was wearing took away from her being intimidating or not.

I still hadn't understood why she had switched that hat and glasses with the large red hat and yellow scarf Sousa was wearing but they had looked amused about it. In fact, I believe they switched outfits completely for some reason.

Had I mentioned that we had stayed another two days in Washington D.C. and that it was Halloween night?

I had somewhat heard of this 'Halloween' back in the 1940s but had never gotten around to seeing what it actually was. Apparently, even if I had not been travelling around Europe with the Howling Commandos on missions, I wouldn't have seen much back in the United States, not with the sugar ration that had been going on.

Therefore, Sousa had thrown the idea out there that Tony and I needed to stay so that I could see what this 'Halloween' was like in this day and age.

"You could even dress up with us to hand out candy to the kids!" he had added with a large smile. Well, that hadn't seemed like a bad idea. Even though I had wanted to return to Tony's mansion so that he could continue to work on my arm… I didn't particularly want to leave Peggy and Sousa just yet. I had just found them…

"Short Stuff could be a hobbit," had then suggested Tony with a smirk.

I had blinked in confusion, not having heard that word before. Or… Had I? It felt like a distant memory… From a conversation I had had once upon a time. "A what?"

"Or a smurf!"

That word truly hadn't meant anything to me though. "Are you making words up? Trying to be funny?"

"I know!" He had even snapped his fingers at that. "A munchkin!"

"A WHAT?!" I had yelled out.

That had gotten the two men to laugh out in my expense as I had stood in front of them, breathing heavily, my fist clenching tightly. If Tony had compared me to a 'munchkin' from that movie Steve and I had seen of all things, I bet that the rest of those words he had said were… were…

I had just glared at Tony.

Thankfully all those ideas had been rejected quickly enough.

But the question remained: what would I dress up as?

Tony had figured something out for himself that revolved around him covering his face so that he wouldn't be recognized. Peggy and Sousa already had their costumes from previous years. And, for myself…?

At one point, it had seemed that Tony and Sousa had come up with an idea but they hadn't seemed willing to share it with me. They had almost seemed… hesitant about it.

Until Peggy had shown up.

"A zombie," she had stated without hesitation, glancing between the men and myself. As Tony and Sousa looked… almost panicked, I was confused once again.

"Is that something…?" I couldn't finish that question, hoping it didn't resemble something like what Tony had suggested.

"Some undead creature. Your missing arm would work wonders with the costume," she had explained and it had seemed to make the men even more uncomfortable.

I had glanced between the three of them, thinking it over. I… I may have understood why they were hesitant considering I had been – and probably still was – deemed 'dead' to the world. I had been 'dead' to Peggy for over sixty years.

Would it be… be in poor taste?

"If any of you think this will damage some supposed fragile constitution of mine," had begun Peggy sternly, frowning at the three of us, hands on her hips, "then –"

"Of course not," had cut in Tony quickly as Sousa had shaken his head.

"It's a perfect idea," had added the other man.

Peggy had sighed, eyeing the two of them for a moment longer before extending her hand in my direction. "Then the two of us are heading out. We shall see the two of you later for decorating."

And that was how I ended up with more makeup on my face than I had ever worn, looking like a decaying corpse in muddied and torn second hand clothes, handing out candy and chocolate alongside Tony who was wearing a mostly white armor with matching helmet.

They had mentioned he was disguised as something as something along the lines of… something with 'storm' in the name. Storm soldier? Storm warrior? Fighter storm?

I couldn't remember, not with the amount of 'pop culture' references that had been thrown at me tonight.

Even Peggy and Sousa's costumes… They were apparently characters with apparently – somewhat – normal names but those too had escaped me.

Something with a lady from… San… San Francisco maybe? No, that didn't sound right… And a guy with an alliterative name. Something with a 'W'. Where's… Some name with a 'W'. And a striped shirt and matching hat.

That Peggy was wearing.

I was growing more and more confused as the night progressed.

"What was that one?" I asked, watching a kid dressed all in black skip away from us with more candy in his pumpkin shaped basket. He had waved to Tony before that but… I couldn't say why. I couldn't even tell if the kid was happy or not because of the mask.

"Darth Vader. Same story as my costume," he replied.

"That explains why it looked familiar and why he waved at you," I said with a nod. "The one is space, right?" I may be bad with the names of the characters but the idea of humanity having been to space and having travelled through it had caught my interest.

"Star Wars, yes the one with space."

Oh… "Not… Star Trek."

"Don't let any nerd hear you," he mumbled.

True, even Peggy and Sousa had mentioned there was a difference between the two 'Star'… stories even though both took place in space, with advanced technology, and 'aliens' from different planets and…

"I guess the creators of both stories were creative in their own ways," I remarked as more kids came up and I handed out some candy, "that they just came up with those whole worlds."

"Well, some people are more imaginative than others."

"Do you think it'll be possible some day?" I asked. Honestly, with how fast science has been advancing… Anything could possible.

Tony shrugged. "Science needs to keep up. But also, some things in those worlds are somewhat farfetched."

"What?"

"_Implausible. Not possible in this world._"

I watched the kids run off and blurted out the next words without thinking. "_But it could be possible in another world? A parallel one?_"

There was a pause from Tony. "_Didn't take you for a parallel world conspiracy theorist,_" he finally stated.

I sent him a look at those words. "_Then you're not going to like the rest of this conversation._"

I couldn't read Tony's expression because of the helmet but I was sure it must be at least a little bit questioning. "You aren't serious, Short Stuff."

"_Well, I don't know anything about advanced technology that allows for space travel but a parallel world, one where physics didn't advance as much as here, that I do know about._"

A group of girls clambered up to us, cheering about 'Trick or Treat' or something and I handed out some more candy and chocolate to each of them. They chorused 'Thank you' before running off in giggles.

"And you decided to casually mention this now because…?"

"For conversation. What else did you want to do while we gave out candy? I could go back to asking about the costumes. Were those girls anything specific?"

"Conversation…? Short Stuff –"

"Costumes, what were they?"

"Honestly I wasn't paying attention. Maybe some Disney princesses. But –"

"I got dropped in Dr. Erskine's basement same as I had in yours. But in early 1943."

I heard Tony sputter but he didn't say anything, not when two other children waddled up to us in a cat and dog costume. They almost looked scared of me but I smiled down at them, grabbing more handfuls of candy and dropping them into their bags.

"_I'm just disappointed that I can't see your flabbergasted expression right now,_" I remarked as the kids sprinted away and I glanced towards Tony.

"_And why are you telling me now?_"

I turned towards where Peggy and Sousa were watching us and I smiled towards them. "_As a thanks, I guess. For bringing me here._"

Tony nodded and I heard him take a deep breath. "_I have MANY questions about this_."

"_And I do as well. About these costumes. Who are they?_"

I was sure Tony rolled his eyes as he replied, "_Power Rangers_."

* * *

When we ran out of candy and chocolates, the four of returned inside the house and Tony finally took off his helmet, fixing me with an intense stare. Even though we had bounced back and forth between the costumes and my being from a different world for the last hour, I didn't know how much he actually believed of my explanations.

Once again, I wondered why the Gate hadn't shown him anything like it had with Dr. Erskine. Things would have been so much simpler!

"Follow me, Short Stuff," said Tony suddenly, turning heel and heading towards the stairs.

I glanced towards Peggy who offered me a smile before motioning for me to follow. Did she know what this was about?

Because I surely didn't!

Once upstairs, I saw Tony exit his bedroom and head towards mine, sending me an impatient look as he did. I rolled my eyes but made my way over anyway.

He had taken a seat on my bed and I approached, eyeing the plastic bags near my rucksack. Tony had asked what they were when I had returned with Peggy from our shopping and I had told him a partial truth: some of the items in the bags were for the costume and some were for everyday.

I had failed to mention that it contained other items such as a very pretty auburn wig along with some more feminine clothes.

One shocking secret at a time.

"_What is it?_" I asked as I approached Tony.

He didn't look up from fiddling with his tablet, not until he lifted it and turned it towards me. Then his gaze was fixed on me.

But I was studying what he was showing me. That was an image of Tony's workshop and…

Oh... It was the video of when I had arrived. Weird. I had already seen it. Multiple times too.

The Gate appearing, the doors opening and the tendrils dropping me on the floor of the workshop. All of these images were familiar. So, why…?

Wait. The video usually cut here, after the tendrils receded, leaving me on the floor.

That… that eye turned towards Tony.

I had never seen this.

"_They failed once. They cannot fail again. This is their last chance._"

My eyes widened and my breath caught. The – the Gate had spoken to Tony?! And – and…

It vanished from the screen and the workshop.

What. The. Fuck?!

I had failed? Failed what? What had…? I was supposed to do?!

"From your perplexed face, I imagine you don't have a clue as to what that cryptic message meant?" stated Tony slowly.

I took a deep breath, my mind still reeling. What had I…? Was that why the Gate pulled me off the airplane? Because I needed to do something? But… why drop me in 2009? What could possibly still need to be done over sixty years in the future?

I flopped onto the bed next to Tony, unable to wrap my head around those words. "_I… I didn't even know I had to do something… It had just… dumped me with Dr. Erskine. It hadn't spoken to me… I thought that being here was the price I had paid, to be taken away from… everyone._"

Tony nodded slowly, fiddling with the tablet in his hands. "_Well, one thing is for sure, Short Stuff._"

I glanced towards him, tilting my head. "_And what's that?_"

"_You are a trouble magnet._"

I scoffed at the accurate description. "_You're going to have to get used to it_."

* * *

_Let me know what you think!_

_Be safe everyone!_


	13. Chapter 13 - You Came Up With That!

_Thank you all so much for the love of this story! This chapter is a little late (a lot has been happening these days) but at least it is a long one! :D_

_Enjoy!_

_P.S. __It was a little funny reading people's reaction to the video Tony showed Ed, about when she had arrived, since it was in the last chapter of the first story ;) But, I understand it's been several months and a LOT has happened since so I completely understand! (Still made me laugh though!)_

_Previously:_

_Ed and Tony had gone to visit Peggy in Washington D.C. and Tony revealed to Ed the message the Gate had left him with the day of Ed's arrival: _"_They failed once. They cannot fail again. This is their last chance._"

* * *

_November 2009 – Malibu, California_

"So, any luck, Short Stuff?"

I had only just set foot in the workshop when Tony had asked that question, not even looking up from… whatever he was tinkering with.

If I were to guess, it was that suit of armour he had been building since even before I had landed here.

He'd better be close to finishing my arm though…

"Not since this morning when you had last asked," I replied, flopping onto a chair, dropping my tablet onto a nearby table before beginning to swivel back and forth.

"Some riddle," he mumbled and I could tell his focus was already back on… was that a helmet?

I shook my head as I slouched in the chair and continuing to swivel.

His comment wasn't wrong though. What the Gate had told Tony after it had dropped me on his workshop floor…

What _had_ I failed to do?

Or, better yet, what the fuck had been my task? What could have interested the Gate that much to keep me alive on this side?

Twice.

Well… I had this sinking feeling that that was all the chances I was going to be given. If I found myself in another life or death situation, I was probably going to be on my own.

But, the question remained, what did I need to do on this side?

What could it have been back in the 1940s and still be an issue in 2009?

I nearly scoffed at that.

_Many_ things but, what could _I _do about something that bothered _the Gate_?

Apart from myself, there had been Edward and Alphonse from another Amestris roaming around but… they had decided that they were staying on this side. They hadn't wanted to cross It anymore. They had given up going back to Amestris…

"I can almost see the smoke, Short Stuff," remarked Tony and stopped my swiveling, frowning in his direction.

"What smoke?"

Tony looked up from his work, sending me an almost exasperated look. "Metaphorical smoke." I blinked in confusion. "From thinking too hard." Right… "Grinding the gears in your brain from thinking too much." I blinked again which earned me an eye roll. "Forget it."

In all honesty, his explanation had cleared up the comparison from the very beginning but… I did enjoy annoying him on certain occasions.

Besides, this was a form of payback considering he refused to call me anything than that… nickname.

That'll teach that bastard.

Damn…

I did it again. I thought I had stopped comparing Tony and Mustang! They were definitely two distinct men. Even though I technically knew two Mustangs, the one… one…

Mustang. The one from here.

He had a transmutation circle, one that was similar to Edward's but with some modifications. It had been a mystery back then on exactly _who_ could have done those changes but…

The point was that _someone_ did. Someone made changes that still made sense to the transmutation circle.

The who and why were pressing questions.

I needed to look at that circle again. Maybe I had –

"Sir, Mr. Stane is upstairs and is insistent on talking to you," stated JARVIS suddenly.

I glanced towards Tony who stopped his work. His gaze passed from the ceiling to mine and even looked perplexed. Not only had Stane not visited since the last time he had been here but… the way JARVIS had worded it didn't sound like would take 'no' for an answer.

"Miss Potts is attempting to delay him but he seems to want to come down to the lab to speak with you," added JARVIS.

And it didn't sound like he was in a good mood either…

"What does he want?" grumbled Tony, standing and heading towards the staircase. "Short Stuff, go hide, will ya?"

"_You don't need to tell me twice_," I replied having grabbed my tablet and was already jogging towards the room off of the lab, the one that led to the elevator. Hopefully Stane didn't decide to use it while I was there.

I still didn't have a good impression of him since the first meeting and, considering he worked closely with Howard, he would most likely recognize me. There were enough people who knew about me being here from the 1940s and I didn't want to add that man to the list.

Something didn't sit well with me about him…

I closed the door behind me and headed towards the elevator, sliding down the wall next to it and readjusting the tablet on my lap. I may not have a good hiding spot like last time to listen in on the conversation but…

"JARVIS? _Any chance of hearing what's going on?_" I asked, hoping that he would help in my eavesdropping again.

Tony hadn't been happy the first time but the situation was different now between the two of us.

And, as I said, I didn't trust Stane.

A moment passed before my tablet lit up and a video feed of the staircase leading down to the lab was visible. I could only somewhat see Tony who was mostly hidden behind Stane as he blocked the way downstairs, casually leaning against the wall. There seemed to be several stairs between the two of them, the older man nearly towering over Tony…

"I could have met you down there," said Stane with a laugh as he stood a few steps higher.

"Needed some fresh air," replied Tony smoothly. "What can I do for you?"

"Can't I check in on a friend?"

I frowned, a sinking feeling forming in my stomach. He sounded… Well… Something. I couldn't put my finger on it but I didn't like. He seemed up to something.

He hadn't been here since the first time I had seen him. If he truly did care, he would have been here more often, no?

Then, why else would he be here…?

Fuck…

I slowly pushed myself back up, remembering what had happened last time that man was here, when he had passed by my room and had found my tablet.

Would he do it again?

I knew my door wasn't closed and…

Fuck.

And from what I remembered; it was a mess.

"JARVIS, they shouldn't hear me if I cross the living room, right?" I asked as I was about to push the button to the elevator.

"No, Miss, you should be able to cross once upstairs," he replied just as the doors opened.

I nodded, entering the elevator and returning my attention to the tablet. I think I had missed some small talk while I had been discussing with JARVIS but… I had gotten back just in time apparently.

"Heard you flew to the East coast," said Stane and my eyes widened. He knew? How? Even Tony seemed slightly surprised by that statement but he was reigning in his emotions better than I was.

"Yeah, visiting an old friend," replied Tony evenly.

"Ah yes, Peggy. How is she doing these days?"

He knew we went to see Peggy? How? Did he know we flew to Washington? But…? HOW?

"She's doing well."

Stane nodded and I wondered if he was getting annoyed with Tony's short answers. The elevator doors opened then and I spotted Pepper whirling around towards me, eyes wide. She thankfully didn't say anything as I shuffled quietly in the direction of my room, holding up my tablet with the video feed for her to see.

"Well, it must have been good for you to see her. She must have enjoyed the company as well. Had you visited alone?" wondered Stane and my heart skipped a beat.

Even Pepper looked worried as she followed me out of the living room.

Something told me he already knew the answer.

Tony's brows furrowed ever so slightly on the screen and I held my breath.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" answered Tony and the tone of his voice was getting a little more aggressive.

Stane raised his hands in surrender. "I was just curious! I'm worried about you, Tony, and I want to make sure you're okay. If you went with someone, that's great, you had company!"

Tony didn't react and I wondered if he was believing the other man or not. Stane sounded genuine but… I didn't know him very well. Tony did.

Did Stane truly care about Tony's well-being or…?

"I know laying low can take it's toll," continued Stane, placing a hand on Tony's shoulder. "But you have Pepper and myself. And, of course, whoever you have for company."

"Why do you think I have someone else for company?" asked Tony. He sounded offhand about it but…

"Hey, hey, don't you trust me? I think it's great you have someone else to help you get through this!"

He didn't sound all too happy though…

"You're being very persistent."

"I just felt hurt that you didn't think you can trust me enough to tell me that someone is here with you."

"That's –"

"I saw the flight plan, Tony, there were four people on board, yourself, the pilots and someone else. I also know that one of the guest rooms is being used in this house. Why can't you just tell me?"

Oh fucking shit…

Pepper and I had entered my room and I bit back a groan. The mess was worse than I had remembered it being… I had papers and books strewn across the bed and floor. When I had learnt I could print things, I took full advantage of it to help sort all the information I needed to decipher the transmutation circles.

Especially considering Tony knew about Amestris and we were still discussing alchemy, I didn't feel the need to be secretive about the research.

With Stane around and knowing that _someone_ was here, I didn't think it was wise if all of this was out in the open.

"He'll want to check on the room," muttered Pepper as she already began picking up papers. "He's stubborn and he'll probably won't let this go."

I eyed the mess and then the dresser. He would probably even go through the drawers, just to make sure. We couldn't move all my things and hide them… _somewhere_ before they showed up. I wouldn't even know where to toss these things.

"Pepper, stop," I said, eyeing the tablet and seeing Tony attempting to stall Stane. "It won't work."

"You want him to know about you?" she asked, skeptical as a plan began forming in my mind.

"No, not… I'll explain later. You have extra clothes here, right?"

She didn't look convinced but nodded none-the-less. Heck, I wasn't fully convinced of it myself…

"Ok, go get a shirt and jacket-thing. Hurry."

"What –?"

"Hurry!"

Was this even going to work? Well, we didn't have many choices if we wanted to avoid Stane going through my room.

"You show me what you're working on or you tell me who's staying here," stated Obadiah, making Pepper and myself glance towards the tablet. "I'm getting this feeling you're not trusting me anymore, Tony."

That got Pepper moving and I frowned once again. I realized then the feeling I had about Obadiah's way of speaking: he was manipulative. He pretended to care to get information and, when that didn't work, he resorted to guilt.

Fucking asshole…

"_JARVIS, Tony can't show that armor to Stane!_" I stated, already heading for my dresser. "_Stall them and make sure they're in the living room._"

"Yes, Ed. Are you –?"

"_Stall, JARVIS!_"

* * *

_Pepper's POV_

Pepper hadn't liked it when Obadiah had shown up unexpectedly at the mansion. She hadn't liked the look in his eyes. She hadn't liked the tone he had taken with her.

And she hadn't liked how he absolutely wanted to head downstairs to the workshop to talk to Tony.

She had tried to get back to her work after he had left but she found herself pacing around the living room instead, unable to quite hear the conversation happening in the staircase without getting too close and making her presence known.

She had been thankful Edward had shown up when he had with his tablet and she had followed him to his room as they listened to the conversation between Tony and Obadiah.

Pepper's unease hadn't lessened upon hearing the words exchanged between the two.

The moment they stepped into Edward's room… Pepper took a second to process the sheer mees in from of them.

It had been a while since she had been inside of Edward's room and… Pepper felt like she should have seen this coming considering Edward was a 19-year-old and usually distracted by whatever he was reading.

"He'll want to check on the room," muttered Pepper as she bent down and began gathering papers and books, trying to get them in a semblance of a pile.

She didn't even have time to read what exactly was on them, she just needed to get things in order.

"Pepper, stop," said Edward, his focus on the tablet. "It won't work."

She barely slowed down, reaching for another series of papers. "You want him to know about you?" she asked, wondering what the next move would be if not cleaning up the mess and hoping Tony could come up with a valid excuse as to why this room was being used, on who their guest could be: Tony had been a hermit for months…

"No, not…" Pepper glanced towards Edward as he frowned, shaking his head and looking… Overly pensive. "I'll explain later. You have extra clothes here, right?"

Pepper eyed Edward for a moment before nodding slowly. Yes, she had some in another guest room in case of emergencies. It had happened once, a few years ago, when Tony's tinkering with his cars ended in oil squirting everywhere, including her white blouse.

And she had to be present in a meeting with clients, with Tony, and they had been running late.

Since then, she had kept extras at the mansion, just in case.

"Ok, go get a shirt and coat-thing," said Edward, already glancing around the room as if he was looking for something. "Hurry."

"What –?"

"Hurry!"

Pepper left the piles of papers and books, walking quickly down the hall, trying to keep the clicking of her heels to a minimum just in case Tony and Obadiah were on their way. All the while wondering what exactly Edward had in mind…

Once she had the shirt and blazer, she returned to Edward's room, stepping inside and –

She looked quickly away as he seemed to be struggling with pulling on some pants, focusing her gaze on the doorframe instead. _Do all teenagers not worry about decency?_ She wondered with an eye roll.

It then registered that… _Had he been shirtless?_ She remembered seeing some bare skin but… something else too.

"You don't need to look away," stated Edward and Pepper rolled her eyes more to herself than the situation. She had seen shirtless men before and this was no different.

"I was trying to give you some – some…"

The rest of the sentence died in her throat as she took a good look at Edward. At…

The pants he had been struggling with were a slimmer fit, hugging… curves?

And… was that a sports bra? And did it truly support…?

**"**Are…? You're…?"

"Female," stated Ed… Pepper didn't even know if she should keep calling… the teenager 'Edward' anymore. "You can ogle my body later. I need your help with your shirt! Tony doesn't have much else to stall with!"

Pepper moved almost automatically as she helped… Ed put the shirt on, trying to not stare at the scar tissue across his – her – their stomach and back as well as the shoulder, where the metal port was attached to skin.

Pepper knew she should have expected the scars from when she had seen them about a month ago but… the sunlight revealed so much more than the dim light had.

And it made Pepper's heart clench.

_What had happened?_

"I'll tie a knot at your back, to make it snugger," explained Pepper, doing just that before Ed reached for the auburn wig on the bed.

_How had I missed that?_

"Can you help me with it?" asked Ed, holding it out.

Pepper nodded, taking it and flipping it over. "And where did you get this from?"

"Peggy. She's known for a while."

Pepper had not been expecting that response as she fit the wig onto Ed's head, flattening the fly away strands and combing her fingers through the bangs.

Looking at Ed, especially with that wig, Pepper wondered how she had missed the fact that this teenager had been female all along.

Perhaps that was why she always thought Ed looked younger than they were…

What she had mistaken for youth had just been softer, feminine features.

With a deep breath to keep her focus on the present, Pepper grabbed the blazer and tossed it around Ed's shoulder, adjusting it so that it somewhat hid the missing arm.

Once everything was ready, even Ed took a deep breath, almost as if they were preparing themselves for this.

"Are you sure?" whispered Pepper. "We could figure –"

"Nope, let's go," cut in Ed quickly, putting on a pair of vintage glasses before grabbing their tablet, shutting off the video feed, turning heel, and walking out of the room.

Pepper took a deep breath, hoping that this ruse was going to work.

_Here goes nothing_.

She followed Ed down the corridor, leaning down and whispering, "What exactly is the plan?"

"Psychologist. Helping Tony while staying in that room a few times a week to observe him," replied Ed quickly.

Pepper was about to point out that Ed may not fool anyone as a psychologist but kept it to herself. This wasn't the time for pessimistic thoughts. She just hoped that it worked and especially, that Tony would keep up with the ruse.

The two of them entered the living room just as Tony and Obadiah climbed to the top of the staircase, both looking irritated.

The conversation Pepper and Ed had missed while getting ready must not have been pleasant.

"I didn't know you were having a guest, Mr. Stark. We could have rescheduled," said Ed in a very well-done British accent.

Pepper needed to control her features at the sudden change of tone from Ed as well as the sudden stop from both Tony and Obadiah. They were both stunned for a moment, staring at the women in front of them.

"Uh… He… He was a surprise," explained Tony, trying to keep his composure and the act.

"And who might you be?" asked Obadiah nodding towards Ed, sounding slightly more pleasant than he had been in the video feed.

"Mr. Stark's psychologist. You must be Obadiah Stoned," replied Ed, giving him a once over and Pepper once more needed to keep her reaction under wraps. She secretly hoped Ed wouldn't push it…

"Stane," corrected Obadiah, his tone slightly clipped.

"Ah, yes."

There was a moment of silence as Ed glanced at their tablet and thankfully JARVIS played along and brought up… Who knew what? At least it made them look occupied, giving Tony and Pepper time to process the situation.

Obadiah, on the other hand, didn't look amused.

"Didn't catch your name," he said finally, tired of waiting for Ed to introduce themselves.

"You may call me Gracia," replied Ed without glancing up from their tablet.

"Last name."

"I don't see why I need to disclose that to you," they replied calmly, finally giving him their attention. "I work for Mr. Stark."

"As a supposed psychologist. You seem too young for that." Pepper had worried about that… Would Ed be able to pull this off? Obadiah was not a man who was easily fooled.

"So I've been told all too often," replied Ed smoothly, cocking her head to the side, "especially from men who have an inferiority complex. Maybe we could schedule a meeting to discuss your issues, Mr. Stane."

Pepper couldn't believe her ears but she still kept herself from reacting. This meeting was going to be interesting.

If nobody lost their composure before the end of it.

"Bold words coming from –"

"She doesn't filter her thoughts," cut in Tony sending Ed a quick look before Obadiah turned towards him. "But, who knows, it may help. Peggy apparently like her."

Pepper could almost feel how thick the tension was in the room. The older man almost looked ready to explode on Ed but…

Obadiah finally took a deep breath nodding towards Tony. "Glad to see you're getting help. I'm heading off." Even though the words were nice, the tone didn't seem sincere anymore.

"Right, thanks," replied Tony glancing once more at Pepper and Ed before shaking Obadiah's hand.

The three of them watched the man leave and, even as the front door closed almost too gently, too controlled, there was several beats of silence that hung over them.

That was, until…

"What the hell just happened?" gasped Tony, running his hands through his hair as he stared at Pepper and Ed.

Ed scoffed, visibly relaxing as their shoulders sagged and stance deflated. "Too bad he left," they said, taking the blazer off. "I would have enjoyed punching his face. Thanks for this and the shirt, Pepper." They then handed the blazer to Pepper who took it.

She nodded in response, adding, "So… Explanations? And don't punch him. That would cause more problems than it would solve."

"No promises," they replied.

"Yes, explanations, that would be great," said Tony as he began to pace around the living room. "Because this," he motioned towards Ed in general, "this… Listen, I can roll with a lot of punches but –"

"I was expecting this. I'm actually female, been hiding it, yes –"

"– pretending to be my psychologist? That was the best thing you could come up with?"

Ed paused, their mouth hanging open as they stared as Tony continued to pace, shaking his head in disbelief. Even Pepper watched her boss with a hint of surprise. Honestly, she shouldn't have been surprised anymore considering everything she knew about Tony but he still sometimes managed do to so.

"You could have said you were my illegitimate daughter! That at least would have been believable!" added Tony with a wave of his hands.

Ed choked at that suggestion and even Pepper had to hide her smile.

"But psychologist? You –"

"I was out of time!" cut in Ed, their tone betraying their irritation. "It's done!"

"Yes, it's done!" repeated Tony almost mockingly. "At least you had the foresight of wearing a wig!"

Ed almost growled, jamming their hand on their hip. "Of course! Even you had said he would probably recognize me! I wasn't having that!"

"But you'd have him thinking I need a _psychologist_?"

"You've been holed up in this mansion since before I showed up! Probably, yes, you do!"

"I don't!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Why do the two of you ALWAYS end up fighting when I'm here…," muttered Pepper in exasperation, massaging her head.

Tony and Ed suddenly stopped their bickering, staring at each other and then at Pepper. They at least both had the decency to look sheepish, Ed more than Tony.

"Sorry, Pepper," mumbled Ed, their stance deflating.

"What Short Stuff said."

Ed flipped him off and Pepper just pinched the bridge of her nose. "The two of you can continue your bickering after I leave but, before that, I would like an explanation on…" She motioned towards Ed.

"And why JARVIS didn't pick up on it…," added Tony, crossing his arms.

"I did, Sir. I –"

"I told him not to mention it to you unless you specifically asked about my gender," cut in Ed quickly.

Tony squinted towards Ed, almost looking like he didn't believe them but Pepper sent him a look, not wanting them to start fighting again. He thankfully kept whatever comment he had to himself. "Fine," he mumbled instead.

Pepper nodded glancing towards Ed. "So…?"

They shrugged as they said, "I learned early on that travelling in male clothing was easier and… when I joined Dr. Erskine, I wanted to pretend to be male. We were on the run and I was injured. I didn't need people thinking we were easy targets by dressing in skirts and dresses. So, even though, biologically, I am female, I don't mind which gender people see me as. But, I do miss having the choice."

"Was only Dr. Erskine the only one to know about your secret?" wondered Pepper before taking in the wig still on Ed's head. "But Peggy –"

"Peggy found out by accident, months after the doctor's death," explained Ed, rubbing their nose awkwardly with their tablet still at hand.

"Did anyone else know?" asked Pepper because it was still a relatively large secret to have kept for… at leas two years? More? And even now in 2009 with both Pepper and Tony.

"Two Howling Commandos. Well, that I knew of," added Ed, thinking it over. "If anyone else had figured it out, they hadn't told me…"

Pepper nodded, waiting a moment but, once she realized Ed wasn't going to provide the names, she asked, "Two of them? Who?"

Ed glanced in Tony's direction, sending him a look. "His other _favorite_ person and… Bucky Barnes."

Pepper also turned towards Tony, remembering how he didn't have kind words towards Steve Rogers and… It took a moment but Pepper noticed the look on Tony's face, at how the hypothetical gears were turning in his head. The lack of a reaction from him confused Pepper and her confusion only grew when she glanced at Ed and took in their somber mood.

Well… Ed's mood could be explained by how both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes had passed away… Tony's, on the other hand…

"Had those times been accidents as well?" asked Pepper, trying to break whatever deep thought the other two had gone into.

Ed shrugged before answering. "Well, I told Steve a few days before… the fight with the Red Skull and the airplane. But…" There was a pause as a thought seemed to cross their mind. "But he had figured it out earlier, had told me that. And Bucky… he had a feeling I was a girl but it was confirmed when he recognized me in a dress and wig when I was on a mission with Peggy. If any of the others found out, I wouldn't know and… I won't ever really know."

"Well, dear old dad never mentioned it so he must not have figured it out," remarked Tony, almost looking smug about that fact.

"Well, now you know. You both know. Less of a dramatic reveal than I would have hoped but it means I get to dress how I want to now."

"You pretended to be a one-armed psychologist named Gracia. That's enough drama for one day," muttered Tony, rolling his eyes. "Again, daughter would have been more believable."

Ed even shuddered at that comment. "No thanks. Any other questions?"

"Many," stated Tony before Pepper could even open her mouth. "Starting with how you convinced JARVIS to keep this from me for so long!"

"He likes me," replied Ed with a smirk.

"Blasphemy."

"I have one before leaving the two of you bicker once more," cut in Pepper, making Ed chuckle. "Did you ever know how Bucky Barnes 'have a feeling'?"

For the first time, Ed looked… sheepish about the whole situation. "Well, I… got drunk the night the Howling Commandos were formed. Bucky had been the one to carry me back to the barracks. Somehow that… gave him a clue."

"Someone gave you alcohol?" scoffed Tony, rolling his eyes. "It must not have taken much to get you drunk considering your size."

Pepper had but a moment to cover her ear closest to Ed before they burst into a long and loud rant, all in German, probably cursing Tony out about that comment.

He truly did like to push their buttons.

They…

"Ed. Ed!" Thankfully they stopped, breathing heavily as they turned towards Pepper. "Do you want us to refer to you as 'she'? Or continue with 'he'? Or even 'they'?"

Ed shrugged rather quickly as a response. "Whatever you prefer. JARVIS just goes with what I'm wearing."

"I seriously need to look at his programming," grumbled Tony which Ed and Pepper both ignored.

"That sounds reasonable," replied Pepper with a nod. "But why did you introduce yourself as Edward?"

Ed smirked, shaking her head. "I didn't. I said my name is Ed Elric and it always had been my nickname. 'Edward' is the male name people had assumed over the years."

"And your… birth name?" asked Pepper, trying to get the proper word.

"Evelyn."

The three of them continued to discuss for several more minutes, mainly on how anyone got 'Ed' out of 'Evelyn' which resulted in more bickering from Ed and Tony.

At that point, Pepper was developing a headache and didn't want to deal with their childish behavior.

Bidding both a quick 'goodnight', she left the mansion, getting into her car.

And sat there.

It had been a lot of information in such a short time frame. Even though many of her questions had been answered… So many more kept surfacing.

The prosthetics were at the forefront of her mind.

Seeing the metal ATTACHED to the skin, seeing the scar tissue around it made Pepper's heart clench tightly.

Even though Ed kept repeating that she did not want any pity, Pepper couldn't stop herself from pitying the young woman. The one who had been a mere teenager when she had lost two limbs and had been roped into a WAR alongside Captain America and the Howling Commandos.

The scars on Ed's body only spelt pain and suffering.

What had Ed done to deserve any of this?!

Pepper pressed her forehead firmly against the steering wheel, thinking the situation over.

Ed's life hadn't been easy. It hadn't been anywhere near normal.

Normal.

Pepper lifted her head, an idea forming.

Ed didn't want any pity. She wanted to be treated like anyone else without any mention of her prosthetics, scars, nightmares or whatever other hardships she had lived through.

And that's exactly what Pepper was going to do and more.

She was going to help Ed live a normal, 19-year-old life.

Whatever that meant these days…

* * *

_Thank you all once again! Maybe it wasn't as dramatic as some would have hoped but I hadn't wanted the secret to drag on for the entire Iron Man movie either..._

_Let me know what you thought! :D_


	14. Chapter 14 - Flying or Falling?

_Thank you so much to the faithful readers and to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or put this story on their alert list! Thank you all so much!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: Tony and Ed had returned from visiting Peggy in Washington D.C. and Tony and Pepper had discovered Ed's secret about her gender during Obadiah's 2nd visit._

* * *

_Mid-November_

"Miss?"

I blinked, looking up at the ceiling from my tablet. "Have you been calling me, JARVIS?"

"Only twice, Miss," he replied. Well, that was one of my better days then. Sometimes it took many tries and once, JARVIS had even resorted to turning the lights on and off… "Sir wishes to pass along the following message: 'Ready to be proved wrong about a flying suit?'."

I rolled my eyes at that message. "He can't be serious," I mumbled, debating for a moment whether to go downstairs or not.

Oh, what the hell…

I rolled off my bed and made my way to the workshop, JARVIS unlocking the glass door as I reached the bottom of the staircase.

I glanced around the area, spotting…

The silver suit of armour Tony was wearing was bringing up memories of my brother and his larger, bulkier armour, of all those years he spent in it and how the blood seal cracked during the fight on the Promised Day.

Of how… I still didn't know if my last transmutation had worked or not… If he was alive or not…

"Why the long face, Short Stuff?" asked Tony, pulling me back to the present.

"My arm," I replied quickly, coming up with another excuse as I massaged my face. It was partially true considering I was still armless even though Tony had managed to construct a full set of armour that was supposedly able to FLY…

"Easy there," chuckled Tony seeming to be in an overly good mood. "The internal mechanism of your arm is being built tonight and I'll run tests on it tomorrow."

My mouth hung open, not having expected an actual update on the progress on my arm. Especially considering he hadn't mentioned the construction of it at ANY point today. "_Why the fuck hadn't you told me before now?_"

He just smirked. "_Because you hadn't stopped asking about that arm all week. _Payback."

"_You are such an asshole,_" I mumbled, shaking my head in frustration. "But at least it's a start."

"Good, focus on the suit now. Arm, later." I rolled my eyes but motioned for him to continue. "Good. Nothing like this where you're from I'm guessing?"

Ever since mentioning that I came from another world, Tony enjoyed asking random questions about Amestris. Not always insightful or requiring hour-long explanations but he did bring it up.

Like now.

"Suits of armour existed. Ones that SUPPOSEDLY fly, no," I replied.

"It will, don't worry about that." He then pointed towards a desk set up not too far with multiple screens and equipment placed on it. "You can follow what's going on from there, Short Stuff."

"I'll believe it when I see it," I huffed, heading towards said desk and flopping onto the chair.

Tony, meanwhile, picked up the final piece, the face mask, putting it in place and it locked.

He was officially, completely covered in metal armour.

"JARVIS are you there?" asked Tony, his voice muffled from the helmet.

A moment later, the screens in front of me turned on, making me jump in surprise. Even the… eye slits on the armour lit up in the same bluish-white glow as that circle in the armor's chest. Whatever that was… It was fitted in the hole in the chest piece I had previously seen.

"At your service, Sir,"

I blinked, hearing JARVIS' voice from the screens. It was… weird, having gotten used to his voice coming from the ceiling and not a specific point in front of me.

"Engage heads up display." Even Tony's voice came from the screens! Maybe I was hearing what was going on IN the helmet.

Well, this could be interesting.

"Check."

The screens flickered for a second before images appeared. As the ones on the side had information on the suit and… many other things, the middle screen showed…

I glanced up at Tony and then the direction he was facing. Going back to the screen, I could confidently say that it was showing me what he was seeing.

It hit me once again how far technology had progressed in the last 60 years…

"Import all preferences from home interface," said Tony.

"Will do, Sir."

"Alright, what do you say?"

"I have indeed been uploaded, Sir. We're online and ready."

The last screen began showing the same images as the middle one but with… information overlaying on top of things in a pale blue colour, even focusing on certain items specifically before moving onto others.

I then saw myself on the screen.

Glancing up, Tony had turned to face me and I swore he must have had some smug look on his face.

"_I won't mention that this is impressive,_" I mumbled, glancing back at the last screen and seeing information appear next to my face.

"_You just did. You –_"

"_WHY IS MY NAME ON THIS AS… AS…?!_" I cried out, leaning in close, rereading that damn nickname Tony kept calling me. "_I HAVE A NAME!_"

"Yeah, 'Short Stuff'. I already told you that's what I would be calling you. Besides, it's gender neutral." I flipped him off, opening my mouth to yell at him some more but he cut me off, addressing JARVIS instead. "J, do a check on control surfaces."

"As you wish."

I grumbled not amused by the use of that blasted nickname as I stared at the suit, specifically how different pieces moved around before settling back in place. I had not thought that those parts would be so mobile on the suit itself!

"Test complete. Preparing to power down and begin diagnostics," said JARVIS and I blinked in confusion.

Well, that was a bit of a let down…

"Uh, yeah," said Tony quickly. "Tell you what. Do a weather and ATC check. Start listening in on ground control."

Uh… What the hell was he talking about? ATC? Ground control? I briefly spotted on the last screen images of airplanes appearing, flying over the city.

"_You can't be serious_," I mumbled in shock. He wasn't –?

"Sir, there are still terabytes of calculations needed before an actual flight is –"

"JARVIS!" interrupted Tony in a warning tone. He WAS serious! "Sometimes you got to run before you can walk."

"Even I know that's not what the expression is!" I called out in exasperation. "And you can't actually think you can go FLYING out there when JARVIS just said –"

"Short Stuff, is that concern I hear in your voice?"

I snapped my mouth shut as those words sunk in. Concern? I couldn't even look at Tony, look at the armour as I processed…

I _was_ concerned.

But, it must be because of the flying aspect. I didn't like flying or even the idea of flying in a metal tube DESIGNED to do just that and here Tony was, wanting to fly in a metal suit of armour!

Damn, I may actually be concerned about –

"It'll be fun. Watch the monitors," said Tony, turning to face the exit of the workshop, bring his heels together and arms pressed to his side. "Ready, JARVIS? In three, two, one."

Part of me wanted to shut my eyes to not witness the train wreck but the other part was beyond curious to see if it would actually work.

Thankfully, the second part won out.

Tony and the suit lifted off the ground with the help of some powerful propulsors on the hands and feet. They emitted a bright, bluish-white light and I squinted to be able to watch Tony lean forward slightly to –

I jumped back as the space where Tony had been standing but a moment before was –

Yelling.

My gaze snapped to the screens, my heart hammering until… until I realized Tony was yelling out in happiness as he flying.

I blinked as that thought settled in.

Not the flying surprisingly but…

Tony. Happy.

_Overjoyed_.

This may have been the first time I had heard him like that. In months.

MONTHS.

It hit me harder than expected.

"Have your eyes closed, Short Stuff?" laughed Tony, drawing my focus on the screens.

And what he was seeing from his suit. He was going around a…

"What's that?" I asked, squinting at the agglomeration of lights and metal structures, not being able to make out exactly what I was looking at.

"An amusement park. Didn't you ANY have fun growing up?" replied Tony as the image focused on a large, circular structure, on a seat in particular where two children were sitting, eating ice cream.

And the younger of the two knocked the scoop down, keeping eye contact with Tony.

I chocked back a chuckle at the sight before realizing… "You can hear me?" I asked, glancing around the screens and the equipment, wondering… how?

"Of course, who do you take me for?" Before I could answer that, he added, "Enjoying the view?"

The image changed from the 'amusement park' to a clear sight of the city… skyline and… and…

I shook my head, looking away as I felt nauseous at the sight.

"Nope," I groaned out. "Flying is still not for me."

Tony chuckled and, after a brief glance at the screen, he was SPINNING!

I just groaned again.

"Handles like a dream," stated Tony happily.

"Great…" I don't know why I glanced at the screens again but, when I did, more nausea crept up and I placed my head between my knees, not understanding how he could be enjoying this.

"Alright let's see what this thing can do. What's SR-71's record?" asked Tony after a moment.

A what's record?

"The altitude record for fixed wing flight is 85,000 feet, Sir," answered JARVIS.

I blinked in confusion, lifting my head to carefully glance at the screens, wondering what they were talking about as I hoped I didn't become nauseous once again.

"Records are made to be broken!" said Tony as all I could see was darkness and… was that the sky?

Wait.

85,000 feet VERTICALLY?!

"You're crazy," I said, leaning against the desk, my head in my hand as I watched the altitude number continue to increase.

"Sir," said JARVIS after a moment, "there is a potentially fatal buildup of ice occurring."

My ears perked up at the word 'fatal'.

"Keep going," replied Tony, ignoring the warning.

"Tony, what –?"

"Higher."

I just stared at the screens, at the altitude that kept increasing along with the amount of flickering that the images were doing. That… that was not a good sign…

Why –?

And then the screens turned black.

"JARVIS!" I yelled out, standing so quickly that the chair clattered to the floor behind me. "What HAPPENED?!"

"Connection with the suit has been lost. Attempting to reconnect as we speak," he replied in his overly calm tone.

"Is he still flying?"

"The suit seems to have powered off, Miss."

"Seems to have WHAT?!"

My heart was hammering as I remembered how fucking high up Tony had flown.

Falling. He was FALLING and my mind was already going through how damn fast he was falling straight down.

The impact could… could…

"_Is there SOMETHING I could do?!_" I yelled out, searching, scanning the equipment that lay in front of me for… ANYTHING!

"There is a manual flap deployment switch on the suit that Sir can use to break the ice accumulated. He –"

There was a pause and I held my breath for several seconds?

"He what?!"

The screens flickered on and I stumbled back at the sight of the incoming STREET! Tony yelled out as he flew past cars and –

I yelled out as I fell back, having tripped over the forgotten chair behind me.

I groaned, laying on the ground for a moment as I calmed down from that scare.

Tony had literally fallen like a stone because of the accumulation of ice on the suit and had been less than a few meters before becoming a pancake on the street. And JARVIS nor I could even help.

'Fatal'.

Even though he got on my nerves several times a day… I didn't want to lose Tony.

I had lost enough people; he didn't need to be added to the list.

"_Fucking asshole_," I mumbled, finally deciding to push myself up and see where Tony –

I stumbled again at the loud bang from upstairs before a second one followed and –

I blinked in shock.

Tony had crashed through the CONCRETE ceiling and landed onto one of his many cars, folding the metal like it was aluminum paper.

As dust and rubble settled around him, he…

I didn't even try to hide my laugh as DUM-E began spraying Tony with a fire extinguisher.

"Yes, this is _hilarious_," groaned out Tony, leaning his head back as DUM-E finally stopped spraying him.

I tried to say something but I still couldn't stop. I couldn't even catch my breath!

All those previous emotions just flooded out as – almost – hysterical laughter.

"You'll be in so much trouble when I get up," grumbled Tony as he seemed to have difficulty rolling off the car he had wrecked.

"IF you get up," I chocked out, finally managing to somewhat get my laughter under control.

"Anyone tell you you're a pain in the ass?"

"You do, constantly," I replied, finally getting to my feet and watching him almost turn on his side. "Need help, Old Man."

He sputtered in surprise, falling back to his original position, making me laugh again.

"Who are you calling _OLD_?" he gasped, almost sounding overly offended.

It isn't DUM-E," I replied, finally heading over to him and holding out a hand.

"Less we forget who is well into her 70s," he mumbled, eyeing my hand – think he was eyeing my hand considering he still had that face plate on – before reaching out and grasping it. "You sure you'll even be able to help?"

I squinted, not particularly caring for the implication but… the suit of armour did break through CONCRETE.

Well, here went nothing.

I pulled as Tony pushed himself up and the strain on my arm was instantaneous.

The suit was FUCKING HEAVY!

But, my stubbornness kicked in and I dug my heels as I pulled even more. With our combined efforts, Tony managed to finally get off the ruined car.

"Well, Short Stuff, size is deceiving."

I clenched my fist tightly, frowning up at him. "_I have half a mind to kick you back onto that car,_" I grumbled, actually sending a swift kick to his shin with my automail foot.

"_Hey, hey! Careful with the suit!_"

"_You mean the death trap! You fell! Twice!_" I even waved my arm towards the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"_I FLEW! You seem to have conveniently forgotten that part._"

"_And you forgot about the falling_."

"Some modifications need to be made. No hassle.

I threw my hand in the air as I whirled around and headed towards the staircase. "Fine, be stubborn, I'm going back to my research."

I was going to conveniently to talk about my stubbornness though.

I caught sight of Tony's reflection in the glass before opening the door as he removed the face plate of his armour. I could make out the smirk on his face, probably also thinking about my comment. Before he could say anything, I just flipped him off, opening the door and climbing the stairs two at a time.

* * *

_Tony's POV – In the Lab _

It had taken several – long – minutes to get the suit off but, once it was, Tony stretched, feeling muscles protest and aches increase.

Maybe breaking through two floors had not helped his situation.

As he walked around several desks, he made a mental note to change the composition of the metal in the suit to something lighter but just as durable or, better yet, even more.

He could maybe avoid creating more holes in his house in the future with that change.

_Coffee?!_

Tony spotted a mug on top of a wrapped box and beelined towards it, smiling slightly. He didn't particularly care how long it had been sitting there, he just wanted that caffeine.

He picked up the mug and –

Pausing for a moment, he spotted a small note on the wrapped box saying 'From Pepper'. He took a sip of the cold coffee as he attempted to remember when she had brought said box down to the –

Oh, when Obadiah had first visited…

Tony frowned slightly as the man's second visit came to mind. It hadn't been pleasant as Tony had been on the receiving end of Obadiah's manipulative tactics.

Thankfully, he had grown up seeing those same tactics used on others that he could evade them for as long as he had before they had been blindsided by Ed's arrival and her disguise.

Once again, Tony couldn't believe she had gone with a 'psychologist' as an occupation.

With a frustrated sigh, Tony put the coffee mug down, refocusing on what lay in front of him as picked up the box and ripped the paper off. Inside was…

His previous frustration seeped away, a small smile spreading across Tony's face at the sight of his old arc reactor in the glass container along with the message 'Proof that Tony Stark has a heart' engraved around the reactor itself.

Of course, Pepper would have done something like that even though Tony had told her to throw that arc reactor out. For once, maybe it was a good thing she hadn't listened to him.

It hit him that she did care about him and that thought…

He didn't know how to feel about that.

"She would have freaked out seeing the test flight," he remarked out loud, shaking his head. "She cares too much. Probably the only one who does…"

"Sir? If I may," said JARVIS after a moment.

Tony frowned slightly, placing the case down as he turned towards the screen JARVIS had opened nearby. The time stamp on the video that appeared read that night, not long ago, during his test flight of the suit. However, what was being shown was right there in the workshop, focused on Ed at the desk with the screens.

She seemed focused on what she was looking at until…

Tony shook his head, an amused smile crossing his face when he saw her lean forward, groaning. She truly was not a fan of flying.

Several moments passed and Tony took a sip of his cold coffee as he watched the scene unfold.

Until the suit shut down.

Tony… He had not expected that level of reaction from Ed. She had shot to her feet in panic, even knocking back the chair so violently, it fell to the floor with a bang.

So many variables were going through Tony's mind and, for a rare moment, he was unsure about what he was seeing or how he even felt about it.

Yes, he had teased her before the flight about caring but…

Had he been right?

Had she been worried? Had she truly cared…?

But they annoyed each constantly, at least twice DAILY. And those were GOOD days!

Tony shook his head, taking another sip of his coffee before wincing at the sight of Ed falling back in surprise the moment the screens lit back up.

He stared at the screen for a moment longer before moving away, mumbling to himself, still confused as to Ed's level of reaction. It had been a joke he had made, a simple joke to get under her skin before the flight but…

Her arm.

Tony sagged into a chair, leaning his head in his hand, feeling stupid that he hadn't thought of that possibility before.

She had even mentioned it before the test flight!

"She does know that her arm would have been made whether I was there or not," he mumbled, putting his cup down, not in the mood for it anymore.

"If I may, Sir," began JARVIS, "her reaction was genuine."

Tony frowned slightly at that comment, wondering just how far JARVIS' programming would go with these 'interventions'. Yes, he had given JARVIS a personality that would update and evolve during the years but this input was getting out of hand.

He hadn't forgotten how JARVIS called her 'Ed' when he didn't call anyone else by their nickname.

"If it's any consolation, Sir," added JARVIS and Tony wondered what other surprise was in store for him, "she seemed just as surprised by her level of reaction as you currently are."

Tony scoffed, shaking his head.

However,…

It was a slight consolation.

"Fine, thanks," he mumbled, glancing at the screen again in time to see Ed's other outburst of her kicking the suit and storming off.

_Childish_ came to mind seeing her.

He caught himself before a smile broke across his face.

Tony sat there for a moment longer, even after the recording at stopped and the screen had gone blank.

Did Ed truly care?

Did he?

With a huff, he suddenly stood and grabbed his cold coffee, heading towards the staircase to… to tease Ed. Yes, that was it.

She probably thought he would never see that footage.

And he was going to be able to embarrass her.

The moment he reached her open door, he glanced around the messy room, taking in the scattered papers and books all over the floor and bed. The origin of said mess was sitting on the floor, at the base of the bed, several sheets of paper in hand as she was reading from a book two feet away, squinting as she did.

The whole set up didn't exactly surprise Tony.

Considering Ed still hadn't reacted to his presence, he leaned against the doorframe and studied the nearby papers, wondering what she was researching this time. The subject seemed to change several times a day from experience and tonight's winner was…

He frowned, not particularly sure what it was. He noticed chemical symbols but also… were those ruins? Nordic ruins?

Maybe they weren't relevant together and she had jumped from one to the other.

She had done that in the past as well.

Tony's attention was pulled back to Ed in particular as she began mumbling under her breath before crumpling the papers she had been holding, squishing them into a ball against her leg and tossing them to the corner.

"Should we consider getting you a desk?" he asked, watching in amusement as she jumped in surprise, finally turning towards him.

"_How long have you been standing there_?" she gasped out.

"_Not long,_" he replied with a shrug. "_So, desk? Yes or no?_"

Ed glanced around the room, probably taking in the mess she had created. "_I can't promise it'll get tidier though…_"

"_It's your room, Short Stuff. I don't care about how tidy or messy you keep it._"

That got a chuckle from her as she glanced around once more. "_Fine, a desk may be a good idea._"

Tony smirked, pushing off the doorframe and turning around. "Mark the date, JARVIS, Short Stuff finally said I had a good idea."

"Dully noted, Sir," replied JARVIS as Ed sputtered behind him.

"_ASSHOLE!_"

* * *

_Thank you again! Let me know what you thought! :)_


	15. Chapter 15 - Non-Benefits of Benefits

_Thank you to all you wonderful readers! A big thank you to those who had left such wonderful reviews! :D_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: Tony had done a test flight with his suit as Ed watched from the workshop. Even with the icing problems, Tony didn't think it went that bad. Ed disagreed._

* * *

_Next day - Mid-November 2009 - In the workshop_

I was browsing on my tablet on an internet site Pepper had suggested as I looked over some choices of desks for my room. Apparently, Pepper had heard about the idea and had been all for it. Well, considering she HAD seen the state of my room with the scattered papers so it may be one of the reasons.

After getting over the ridiculously high prices of several of these and being reminded of inflation – not for the first time – I was trying to decide one that looked reasonable and had a cost that didn't send my heart rate skyrocketing.

Ever since crossing over, it was a reality check going from nearly endless State Alchemist funds to penny pinching for the simplest of things in the 1940s. I was still not used to the amount of wealth Tony had and how he – and Pepper sometimes – easily spent it.

"Made a decision yet, Short Stuff?"

I looked up from my tablet to see Tony settling in amidst a circle of screens, a bag of ice pressed to his shoulder.

"Not yet, still looking," I replied, readjusting myself in the seat on the only couch in the workshop. "And what about my arm?"

"You are not patient, are you?"

"You should know that answer by now."

I saw from the corner of my eye Tony roll his, sighing as he turned on the television on the wall. "I'm running tests on it. Stop asking."

Like that was going to happen.

And the look I sent Tony said as much.

He just ignored it.

Shaking my head, I went back to looking at the selection of desks. Oh, that one looked inter… Nope. That one was so fucking expensive compared to all the other ones. I was not going to order that one! WHY was it so damn expensive?!

"J, notes. Main transducer feels sluggish at plus 40 altitude," stated Tony matter-of-factly and I paused in my search. I hadn't looked up from my tablet but I was… I tried to hide a smirk. I was eavesdropping. Well, he was sitting only two meters away! "Hull pressurization is problematic. I'm thinking icing is the probable factor."

"A very astute observation, Sir," replied Jarvis and I snorted. Shit, that would give away my eavesdropping… "Perhaps, if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exosystems."

I briefly glanced towards Tony who was sending me an annoyed look before he continued his conversation with JARVIS. "Connect to the sys. co. Have it reconfigure the shell metals. Use the gold titanium alloy from the seraphim tactical satellite. That should unsure fuselage integrity while maintaining power-to-weight ratio. Got it?"

"Not really," I replied, not having understood half of those words while JARVIS said, "Yes."

"Wasn't talking to you, Short Stuff. No interruptions. Grown ups are talking."

I just flipped him off.

Thankfully, JARVIS began talking at that point, "Shall I render using proposed specifications?"

Tony sent me a look before saying, "Thrill me."

I focused back on my tablet, trying to remember which desk I had been on and I had panicked upon seeing how much it –

"– Tony Stark's third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund has become the place to be for L.A.'s high society."

I glanced up at the television seeing a reporter on a red carpet as finely dressed people filtered past, men in full suits and women in floor length gowns. That looked like a VERY fancy party.

And… Tony organized this…?

When?

"JARVIS, did we get an invite for that?" asked Tony, making me frown in confusion.

She just said it was HIS benefit. Why would…? Oh, company. His name but –

"I have no record of an invitation, Sir," replied JARVIS.

"– hasn't been seen in public since his bizarre and highly controversial press conference," continued the reporter and a picture from probably said press conference appeared. Tony… did not look all that great…

Why was his arm in a sling?

"Some claim he's suffering from posttraumatic stress and has been bedridden for weeks," added the reporter. "Whatever the case may be, no one expects an appearance from him tonight."

Oh. Those words. That _challenge_. Just a brief look at Tony, at the glint in his eye and that smirk, already told me he was going to prove her statement wrong.

Even thought he wasn't bedridden – last night's test flight was an example – I couldn't exactly rule out posttraumatic stress.

Not that I truly witnessed anything to prove it.

I couldn't DISPROVE it though considering he hadn't left the house save for visiting Peggy.

"The render is complete," stated JARVIS, drawing our attention away from the news coverage of the benefit.

"A little ostentatious, don't you think?" said Tony as he studied what was on the screen before swivelling his chair away.

"What was I thinking? You're usually so discreet," said JARVIS, sarcasm clear in his voice and I chuckled.

How could he just be a machine? There must be something more to JARVIS than they were telling me…

"What's ostan… oftenta… whatever you said?" I asked as I pushed myself up and headed towards the cluster of screens. That was when I saw an image of the suit of armour…

Completely coloured in gold.

"_That's…_"

"Ostentatious," finished Tony, sending me a smirk. "_Gaudy, pretentious._"

"So much gold…," I mumbled, eyes wide before turning towards Tony.

He was staring up at me, his gaze going from my head to the sweatshirt I was wearing, back to my head and then… to a car, one of the few that hadn't gotten ruined.

"Tell you what," stated Tony suddenly, "throw a little hot-rod red in there."

I blinked, looking down and then at the car, understanding after a moment what just happened. I couldn't help a satisfied smile spreading at the idea that the red I was wearing influenced his decision.

"Yes, that should help you keep a low profile," said JARVIS, once again with sarcasm. Even though Tony didn't answer, a small smile also appeared on his face as I chuckled. "The render is complete."

Both Tony and myself turned to look at the new suit with the red added amongst the gold. And that red… it reminded me a lot of my old coat, the one I hadn't seen in…

Years.

That thought sobered me up quickly and my smile disappeared.

YEARS…

I sometimes managed to forget how much time had passed but, when I did remember, it usually felt like I was struck with a brick wall. One that kept me on this side, that I couldn't break to get back HOME.

"Hey, I like it," said Tony as he stood. "Fabricate it. Paint it."

Thankfully, it looked like he hadn't noticed my change in humour…

"Commencing automated assembly. Estimated completion time is five hours," explained JARVIS.

"You coming, _Gracia_?" asked Tony as he neared the staircase, finally looking in my direction.

I pulled my gaze away from the suit of armour, away from the memories it was digging up, glancing towards him in confusion. "_Go where? And why are you calling me Gracia?_"

He sent me a look before glancing towards the television, the one still showing the people walking along that red carpet towards the benefit.

Damn, I had been right about that reporter setting a challenge.

"_Hell no,_" I replied, shaking my head fervently. "_And definitely not as your supposed psychologist, Gracia._" And… Not with the guilt that could come with pushing aside getting back to Amestris with going out to a _party._

"Your loss," said Tony with a shrug. "Don't wait up for me, kids."

And he left.

I glanced towards the red and gold suit of armour one last time, taking a deep breath before leaving the workshop as well.

I had work to do.

* * *

_Later that night_

I rolled onto my stomach, readjusting my position on the couch as I laid the tablet on the cushion. I stretched my back as I continued to read up on dark energy wondering for half a moment what time it was.

Not that it really mattered though: I was only somewhat tired but I was invested on this 'energy' and wanted to finish what I had started.

Or get as far as possible before I fell asleep.

It was a good distraction from decoding the transmutation circles. I had spent hours on them until my eyes lost focus. Knowing now that I didn't need to hide them as much from Tony had been a relief and it allowed me to focus on research more than hiding the circles from prying eyes. However, spending so long on them, trying to come up with explanations as to the changes done to the second transmutation circle – never mind figuring out HOW those changes were made, that was for another time – was mind numbing and I needed a change of pace.

And so, dark energy took over.

Maybe it could help!

Well… honestly, I had no idea but it was fascinating!

Maybe it could be harnessed. I hadn't exactly got to that possibility yet but, if I were to use a circle, it needed power.

Leaning against my folded arm, I continued to read, scrolling through –

The front door slammed shut, making me jump in surprise.

Was that Tony?

I pushed myself up and craned my neck to see that I had been right. Tony was… Was he _shuffling_ across the hall?

I sat up straighter and was just able to make out a blank stare on his face before his back was turned to me.

"Hey! What happened?" I called out but he just ignored me and kept walking towards his bedroom. What the hell…?

I slowly sat back down, thinking over what had just happened. Since arriving, I had _never_ seen Tony that… unresponsive. He always had something to say, some snarky response. Well, most of the time. But, at the moment, he looked out of it.

Like he was lost in thought.

Not in any good thought though like when he was working on his suit or on my limbs. At those times, he was focused: I could see it in his eyes. That was the Tony had I grown used to seeing.

The one who had just passed though…

I glanced in the direction Tony had gone, debating whether or not to follow him. He was a private person and he probably wouldn't want me around. Even if I was there, would he even bother telling me what was wrong?

I probably wouldn't…

But…

I groaned, rubbing my head angrily, messing up my hair.

Fine. Fine!

Quickly standing, I followed in Tony's footsteps. I had never been in his bedroom nor anywhere near it since it was on the opposite of the side house and…

And I never really had a reason to go there.

Tony never entered my bedroom. If he came near it, he just stood at the doorway, never stepping inside in so… I didn't enter his.

I continued down the corridor before coming to… Why the fuck was there no door to this room? I slowed to a stop at the entrance, hesitating for a moment. I probably shouldn't bother him but…

Something had happened during that benefit and had affected Tony.

Badly.

I faintly heard some more shuffling in the room growing fainter before water began flowing.

Alright, Tony seemed fine enough to take a shower if I guessed correctly.

"Tony…?" I called out, slowly entering the bedroom and glancing around.

He wasn't there and… not much else was there either. This room was as bland and lacked almost any décor much like the rest of the house. The only place in this entire place that seemed to have any personality was the workshop downstairs.

Maybe… That's where Tony could truly be himself.

This house was just a front.

Maybe.

But, for now, I… I could just head back to the living room and wait. Tony would most likely head to his workshop once he showered and the only way to get there would be through the living room. Then I could probably try again to –

I jumped at a loud bang coming from the bathroom. That sounded like a body falling… Fuck…

"Tony!" I called out, walking in the direction of the bathroom. "What happened? Tony!"

There was no answer and I was just at the edge of the wall that seemed to separate the main room from the bathroom. Who designed this place anyway?

"Tony! Hey!"

Still nothing.

Shit… I grumbled, shifting from one foot to another. "JARVIS? Is he alright?" I asked, glancing up to the ceiling.

"I cannot tell, there are no cameras in the bathroom…," came his response, almost sounding worried.

Well… Fine! "Tony! I'm coming in!" I called out loudly to give him some warning before I poked my head inside.

Damn… This was a fancy bathroom, easily twice the size of mine.

I refocused, scanning the room as I went further inside, spotting the shower and… and…

Fuck…

"Tony…" I sighed, hating to see someone usually so strong looking… like that.

I spotted a pile of towels and grabbed all of them, heading towards the shower, trying to ignore the pang I felt upon seeing Tony's state.

He was curled up on the floor, in the corner of the shower, shaking.

Leaning in, I turned the water off before dumping all the towels except for one to the side and unfolding the one I still had in my hand.

"Tony," I said softly before swinging the towel and draping it over his shoulders the best I could.

The man jerked, pressing himself further against the corner and that made my insides churn. This was not the Tony I knew… Grabbing another towel, I draped it on his bent legs before grabbing the rest of the towels and holding them close as I slid down against the wall, sitting next to Tony.

"Hey," I began softly. I knew I wasn't good at comforting people but… I couldn't just leave him like this. "Are – are you hurt?"

I was basing myself off what Bucky and Steve had done in the past, how they had comforted me and I hoped it worked on Tony as well. If not, I was going to be at a loss on what to do…

There wasn't any answer from Tony.

I sighed softly, taking another towel and tossing it open. After a few tries, I managed to have it unfolded enough to bring to Tony's damp head.

However, the moment it brushed across his head, he jerked away from so badly he hit the other wall and remained pressed against it.

"Ok, nothing with the head," I murmured, lowering my hand and trying to think this situation through.

Why react for the head? He was fine with the other towels…

I needed to put that question away for now though because my action seemed to have made Tony's condition worse.

"Hey! Hey, can you at least hear me?" I tried, noticing his ragged breathing and how he was pressing a hand firmly against his chest. "Tony?" There was still no answer or reaction from him… "Shit…"

Come on, think what else could I do?

Well, from what Steve and Bucky used to do was they tried holding my hand, offering me physical comfort. However, I didn't think Tony was one who really appreciated physical contact to begin with. I usually wasn't either so that solution was ruled out… Just his reactions to _towels_ had been bad enough…

This was ridiculous! What would help _Tony _out in this? He hadn't seemed to have had trouble when I had woken up from my nightmare in front of him and Pepper a month ago. Even on the airplane! He had known what… He…

Wait…

Could it be he had known what to do because it would work on him…?

Well, I had nothing to lose.

"_I was reading up on dark energy._ _You've probably heard of it, like any other subject I've brought up. Are you going to rub it in my face?_" I paused, eyeing him for a moment but there wasn't any reaction. Alright, keep going. "_Well, I wasn't in the mood to hear your insufferable smugness anyway. So, dark energy. That concept hadn't even been a thought in someone's mind back where I come from. Heck, space travel and anything to do with the universe wasn't a big area of study either so I guess it went hand in hand. But… the universe expanding? Constantly? And getting faster as it expands and that dark energy being a part of it? It truly is amazing how far ahead scientifically you guys are._"

I glanced in Tony's direction and, after a moment, noticed that there was a slight improvement in his breathing pace. That was a good start but he still hadn't looked anywhere near my direction so… I was going to have to keep rambling it seemed.

"_And, of course, reading up on dark energy brough me to that Hubble Constant, which, ironically, isn't a constant… Who came up with that name? And, even when they found out it wasn't constant, that it's value is in a RANGE of numbers, why didn't they change it? What's wrong with changing the name?_"

Once more, it seemed to be getting better. Probably occupying his mind with something else helped. Maybe that was why there were so many projects downstairs not including the suit and my arm…

Alright, just keep going…

"_But, that was just a part of the information on dark energy. There are so many tangents to it and… well to anything these days. I had somehow gotten on the subject of Vikings in general after a few too many links. I think it had something to do with the Viking program from NASA in the 1980s for –_"

"_1970s and it was for Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2,_" said Tony softly.

I took that response from him as a good sign but tried no to react to it. I just needed to keep talking normally. "_Fine, 1970s. And yes, Vikings to then reading up on Mars and this notion of 'Martians', creatures that live on a seemingly inhabitable planet. Well, inhabitable for humans anyway._"

"_Am I to truly believe that you think aliens exist?_"

"_I come from a parallel world that you can't reach. How hard is it to believe something exists on a planet humans COULD reach?_"

He finally leaned back, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling, looking…

What's that bluish glow?

It wasn't the same type of glow as my alchemic sparks but a constant soft glow that was coming from… somewhere on Tony. I couldn't make it out without being overly obvious that I was searching for the source.

Why did he bring something glowing with him in the bathroom? To take a shower none-the-less?

"So, you're telling me I've been harboring an alien all this time?" he wondered softly.

"_I prefer dimensional stowaway_," I replied which earned the smallest of smiles for… about two seconds. Then the smile disappeared but I noticed that he no longer had a glazed expression on his face.

Even though he hadn't actually looked at me since I had sat down.

"_Do you want me to continue talking about dark energy? Or maybe about the Vikings that –_"

"The company – _my_ company – has been double dealing under the table," said Tony suddenly, cutting me off. I turned towards him, noticing his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. "Obadiah is selling weapons to the enemy and fueling battles. All for profit and I didn't notice."

Oh shit…

_Fucking shit_…

Tony's reaction when he came home made a LOT more sense now. The betrayal of someone in Stane's position, with his relationship to Tony…

My fist clenched tightly as I thought of very satisfying ways of kicking that creepy asshole to a pulp. I hadn't particularly cared for him before but now…

He'll have a very solid acquaintance to my automail leg for sure.

I took a deep breath before asking, more calmly, "Can't you fire him? Isn't it illegal for him to do that? Can you have him arrested?"

I just got a scoff from Tony. "He's the one who filed the injunction to get me out of my own company and I don't have any proof of his double dealings."

"Fucking asshole," I grumbled, kicking out at nothing just to get my pent-up anger dispersed in _some_ way. My hand went to my hair and ruffled it furiously, trying to think of something to do.

However,… In this world, so far in the future, I didn't exactly know what options were even available…

"What are we going to do about him then?" I finally asked, glancing towards Tony as I rested my head on my hand.

"We?"

"_Truth be told, I have been itching to kick his ass for a while now._"

Tony shook his head, leaning back. "He's my problem."

What the…? "_You're telling me I CAN'T kick his ass?_" I asked, frowning.

"I'm telling you the best thing you can do is stay out of it."

My grip on my head began shaking a it tightened, something inside me bubbling to the surface. _Stay out of it?_

STAY. OUT. OF. IT?!

Tony finally glanced towards me and he did a double take. I didn't know what he saw but…

But…

"_I am NOT staying out of this!_" I growled out, shifting onto my knees to face him. "_He's an asshole! He has HURT you! And you're telling me I can't –_"

"I told you, he's my problem!" cut in Tony, pushing himself off the wall.

"_I'm not sitting back AGAIN to… to…_"

What…?

What's – what's that?

My eyes had been drawn to that same bluish glow and they drifted down to Tony's chest where…

Isn't that what had been powering the suit yesterday?

And it's EMBEDDED in his chest?!

That scar tissue around it… It wasn't as old as mine.

When – when had that happened?

How had it –?

Tony covered the glowing circle with his hand, saying at the same time, "My eyes are up here, Short Stuff."

Even though those words were probably meant as a joke, the tone almost sounded as if he was sighing. I watched as he massaged the embedded piece before meeting his gaze.

We stared at each other for a moment before I took a deep breath, leaning back and raising an eyebrow.

I didn't want pity from anyone because of my limbs so Tony wasn't getting any from me for… whatever that was.

"So, I wasn't the only one keeping secrets," I finally said, cocking my head to the side.

That made Tony smirk, shaking his head. He shrugged the towel around his shoulders off as he wrapped the other one around his waist before standing.

"What is it" I asked, following suit, my eyes going once more to the blue glow of that circle.

How deep did it go?

Why is it there?

"Let me put some clothes on first," answered Tony, stepping away and crossing the bathroom. "And you change out of those wet ones before you ruin my furniture."

I groaned out loud enough for him to hear me even as he was leaving the room. I then huffed, making my way out of the –

I stopped suddenly as Tony was standing on the other side of the imaginary divider between the bedroom and the bathroom.

I waited a moment with both of us not moving or saying anything until I placed a hand on my hip and snapped, "What?"

Tony opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once more before shrugging and saying, "Nothing."

He walked away and, even though I was initially confused, I couldn't help but smile as I left the room.

* * *

Not long after, with both of us in new clothes, we were back in the workshop and Tony had finished explaining what that glowing circle was. He had called it an 'arc reactor' and it was, simply put, an electromagnetic with palladium in it that kept shrapnel from entering his heart.

_Shrapnel_…

"What bomb went off?" I asked, eyeing the glow that was now visible from under his shirt, a sign that he had been intentionally hiding it all this time.

Well, I couldn't be mad at him about that considering how I had been hiding my limbs and my gender from him and from others.

"Who said it was a bomb?" he replied with a confused look.

"_You seem to forget I PARTICIPATED in a war. Hearing the word 'shrapnel' and even seeing it was normal…_"

Tony wasn't meeting my gaze as he stared just to my left for a while. I just leaned back and waited, not wanting to push him into answering.

He never really had – except for getting Pepper to ask about my automail – so I wasn't going to.

Besides, Pepper wasn't here.

"It was my own bomb, a Stark Industries bomb fired by… not American soldiers," he finally replied.

Oh fuck… My insides churned at that… "_One that Stane sold?_"

Tony didn't answer and he still wasn't looking at me. I was going to take that as a 'yes'… That was a lot to digest. Something that he had created was used against him, had hurt him…

When Tony finally did move his gaze, it went towards the television. "JARVIS, what's happening in Gulmira?"

I frowned in confusion at that change of subject. "What are you talking about?"

The television turned on, showing a reporter standing in front of a line of people walking down a rocky hill, all looking tired and haggard heading… somewhere. I glanced at Tony who was staring intently at those images before I focused on what the reporter was saying.

"The 15-mile hike to the outskirts of Gulmira an only be described as a descent into hell, into a modern-day 'Heart of Darkness'. Simple farmers and herders from peaceful villages have been driven from their homes, displaced from their lands by warlords emboldened by a new-found power."

My eyes widened at her words. Still in the future this… Even though I wasn't completely surprised, a part of me wondered if the fighting would ever stop… The images changed from the villagers to men standing around beat up trucks, carrying large and dangerous looking guns. I glanced at Tony but he hadn't moved, sitting overly still as his gaze was locked on the television screen.

"Villagers have been forced to take shelter in whatever crude dwellings they can find in the ruins of other villages, or here in the remnants of an old Soviet smelting plant," continued the reporter as the scene changed and it began showing the inside of some abandoned building and shots being fired from almost all sides. "Recent violence had been attributed to a group of foreign fighters," the image changed again with several men running across the street, guns raised as one in particular stood to the side, smoking a cigarette, "referred to by locals as the Ten Rings."

I noticed from the corner of my eye Tony tensing at that point, seeing his fists clench tightly. Even though he remained still, his entire body was so tense, I was surprised he hadn't begun shaking. And that was because of… was it the fighting? That man? The name 'Ten Rings'?

I felt like I was missing a large chunk of information…

The scene on the television changed once more, showing men unloading a truck with… What the hell was that thing? It stood almost two meters tall with what looked like – like missiles attached to the top of it.

Many missiles.

What type of weapon was that? Who built –?

My eyes widened.

Oh fuck…

Oh FUCK.

"As you can see," said the reporter, "these men are heavily armed and on a mission. A mission that could prove fatal to anyone who stands in their way. With no political will or international pressure, there's very little hope for these refugees."

All those weapons…?

All the ones used to terrorize those villagers…?

But…

I glanced towards Tony who still hadn't moved, who was still just as tense.

He had reacted before the images of the larger weapons. Were the guns his company's weapons too? But… That man…

Shrapnel near his heart.

That press conference with his arm in a sling.

Post-traumatic stress.

_Overseas_.

He had told me he had been overseas.

Gulmira. Those men.

They were overseas.

Had – had he been there?

"There's very little hope for these refugees, refugees who can only wonder who, if anyone, will help," finished the reporter. I don't know if she had said something else before that and when I had tuned her out but…

"_What exactly happened before I landed here?_" I asked softly, still staring at Tony. He didn't move. He didn't react. "What. Happened?"

He stood suddenly and walked away from the couch, pacing around the desks quickly but he didn't seem like he was searching for something in particular. I took a deep breath before standing and following him, my confusion turning into irritation.

He could at least tell me SOMETHING!

"_Had you been over there?_" I called out, weaving my way through the desks towards him. "_When you said you were overseas, were you there?_"

"Drop it," snapped Tony and I stumbled to a stop in surprise.

What the hell had happened? We had been communicating and sharing damn well these past few weeks. I thought we had been fine in the bathroom! What was with this wall that just shot up between us?!

However, his reaction did give me the answer I was looking for.

Tony had been there.

Maybe not in Gulmira but it had something to do with those so-called 'Ten Rings'.

"_Listen, I know –_"

"No, you don't! I said drop it!" Tony was nearly yelling at that point.

I shook my head, trying again. "_I do! I was –_"

"You shouldn't have been! They shouldn't have let you!"

Let me…? He couldn't be serious…? "Let me… what? Be a part of the fight? Be in the war?" Before Tony could yell at me again, my anger flared up and my voice was the one that was raised. "_You think anyone LET ME be there? People were trying to keep me AWAY from the fighting! And yeah, some shit happened which, if you stopped fucking interrupting me, makes me probably the only one who does know what –_"

"_Then you know to drop. It._"

We stared at each other for a long moment, both of us frowning intensely, breathing deeply, neither backing down.

But…

"Fine," I spat, tossing my hand in the air. "Fine. Don't tell me what happened. Tell me what the fuck you're going to do instead."

Tony shook his head, walking away. "I'm going to make things right. They're my problems. My mistakes."

"And how are you going to do that?" I asked in annoyance, following him one again. "_Are you going to…?_"

We had stopped in front of… the new suit, the one that had been built during that party Tony had attended.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, looking up at him but… I didn't need an answer. That intense look in his eyes as he stared at the suit clued me in enough.

He was going to Gulmira.

I glanced back at the television but the news coverage had changed to something else by now.

The reporter, she had said… The word 'fatal' had been used. No one else was helping the refugees and Tony was going to go there with just that damn suit?

"Is there anyone you could call for backup?" I asked, already having a feeling what his answer would be.

"I don't need backup," was his expected response.

This conversation was beginning to sound eerily familiar and I didn't like it. "_Bullshit you don't. Your suit may be advanced but they have advanced weapons. Ones you created if I'm guessing correctly._"

He didn't deny or acknowledge that statement as he picked up the gauntlet piece. "This will be enough."

"You can't go in there ALONE! Fuck, wait a day for my arm to be functional and I can –"

That finally got him to turn towards me, pointing the gauntlet in my direction. "There is NO WAY I am letting you anywhere near that battlefield. I am going alone, in the suit, with JARVIS integrated into it. End of story."

"You can't be serious! I can –"

"No! You are not stepping foot on that soil to fight."

"And you think you're going there ALONE?! You can't –"

"I can and I will! End of discussion!"

I growled out, my fist clenching tightly. "_You are acting all too much like Steve right now, you know that?!_" I knew it was the wrong thing to say to him but I didn't care at the moment. He was stubbornly wanting to do this alone, just like when Steve had wanted to storm the Hydra base alone, when he didn't want me to be on that FUCKING train mission and – and the airplane…

My rage and guilt were bubbling to the surface, making my entire body tremble. Seeing at how furious Tony looked as he clutched the gauntlet tightly didn't help the situation.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Lab." He uttered each word much too carefully, not moving his eyes from mine.

"_Fine_." I uttered right back.

Finally looking away, my movements were stiff as I turned heel and walked towards the staircase, feeling Tony's still fuming gaze at the back of my head.

As I went to close the glass door, I saw him still standing there, still clutching that gauntlet tightly and a wave of anger boiled over inside me. He didn't understand. He didn't WANT to understand.

And I was done trying.

I slammed the door so hard, the glass rained down in a shattered sheet.

The whole time, I didn't look away.

Not until the last of the glass had hit the floor.

Then, I climbed the stairs, determined to not look back.

* * *

_Let me know what you thought! :D_

_Stay safe!_


	16. Chapter 16 - A Little Extra Pepper

_Thank you again to all the wonderful readers and to those who have left reviews on this story!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: After the firefighter's benefit ball where Tony had learned of the double dealing of his own company, Ed managed to comfort him and anger him, all in one night._

* * *

_Pepper's POV – Mid-November 2009_

Pepper entered the Malibu mansion, glancing around the empty living room. Even though JARVIS had informed her before coming that Tony was busy, she had at least expected to see Ed lounging around somewhere like she had grown used to but… The young woman wasn't anywhere to be seen.

With a confused hum, Pepper glanced towards the stairs leading towards the lab downstairs, wondering for a moment if Ed would be down there with Tony.

But JARVIS had said only Tony was busy.

Pepper decided to try Ed's room first and headed in that direction. As she walked, Pepper wondered if she should offer to get dinner with the teenager. It had been a while since the last time they had gone for some take out and, knowing Ed and her insatiable appetite, she wouldn't refuse a meal.

Pepper just needed to determine what they would have to eat.

Maybe Ed would be in the mood… mood for…

Pepper had arrived at the doorway to the room and had slowed to a stop, staring in surprise at the sheer mess. It almost looked like it had gotten worse since last time. Papers and books were strewn across the floor, bed and even the nightstand and dresser were barely visible anymore.

Ed was in the middle of it all, on the floor, a pen in hand as she... furiously scribbled in a notebook, a deep frown on her face. Pepper watched for a moment as Ed stopped writing, stared intently at the page, at a pile of papers to her left, back to her page and –

She ripped it out of the notebook, crumpled it and flung it to a corner where many other crushed papers lay. Those actions seemed… more violent than usual.

"Did something happen?" finally asked Pepper, slowly inching her way into the room.

Ed hadn't seemed to have heard her as she restarted writing in her notebook, her frown looking like it had deepened.

Well, the lack of a response wasn't new to Pepper. Tony had done the same in the past and Ed seemed to have the same tendency in focusing so intensely, she didn't hear what was going on around her. No matter how much they denied it, Ed and Tony were more similar than they wanted to acknowledge.

"Ed?" she tried again with a stronger voice. The teenager jerked up in surprise, turning towards Pepper, eyes wide. "Did something happen?" she repeated.

"Why do you ask?"

Pepper sent her a look but it didn't seem to get the teenager to reveal anything. Pepper sighed, massaging her head as she said, "Even though I'm almost happy I missed the actual argument this time, what happened between the two of you?"

Pepper knew. Her gut feeling was that, once again, Tony and Ed had gotten into a fight. Usually they had their disputes while she was around and she always had to intervene. This time, however,…

Whatever happened must have been after Tony had abandoned her at the benefit.

He had said he was going to get them some drinks but…

He had never come back.

She didn't particularly care for those actions.

"Usual shit," replied Ed with a shrug, answering the previous question.

The problem was, Pepper did not believe those words. "That's a lie," she said, crossing her arms. "Ever since coming back from Washington, the two of you _bicker_. Whatever happened in the last 12 hours, was an _argument_ and a bad one from the looks of it."

Ed took a deep breath but didn't answer, focusing on rearranging stacks of papers, not even looking up at Pepper.

"Ed, what happened?"

The teenager grumbled before saying, "Ask the asshole. If he comes back, he'll be in the workshop downstairs."

Pepper's eyes widened at that statement. Not at the name calling but… She had assumed Tony was already downstairs considering JARVIS had said he was 'busy'. He had gone out?

And… _If_ he came back…?

"Where – where did he go?" whispered Pepper, her mind processing through different reasons and explanations but nothing was coming up as a reasonable answer.

Ed leaned back against the bed, taking a deep breath. Pepper had noticed that, even though Ed always seemed ready to argue and fight with Tony, she got her emotions under control before addressing Pepper. Even during an argument early on, before the Washington trip, when Pepper has stepped in – _again – _Ed, who had just been yelling at Tony, had changed her tone when addressing Pepper. Had it been the nicest? No. But it was leagues better than how she had just been talking to Tony.

"He's being stupid," said Ed dryly, seeming to have reigned in her emotions, the snappiness gone from her voice. "He's trying to fix his problems by himself. We fought and he went off alone."

That hadn't exactly answered Pepper's question considering how vague it was but it had been a start. "Ok, thank you for that. I'll head downstairs then…"

Ed nodded before she glanced towards the ceiling, cocking her head to the side. "Sounds like he's back," she stated which confused Pepper. Had the teenager heard something? Well, she had read that younger people were able hear at higher decibel levels than adults but...

How did that fit in with Tony returning?

"Maybe he'll answer your question. Or maybe you could talk some sense into him," continued Ed, sounding less annoyed as she went back to her papers. "The two of you seem close…"

Pepper felt heat creep up the side of her neck at those words along with the images from the benefit, of when she and Tony had almost kissed on the terrace. She mentally shook those images out of her mind, reminding herself that Tony had LEFT her after that almost kiss.

Besides, she didn't think she EVER managed to talk some sense into Tony…

"Alright," said Pepper, keeping her voice even. "I'll see you later."

Ed shrugged but waved, still staring at the sea of papers around her.

With a deep breath, Pepper carefully made her way out of the room, more questions floating through her mind than when she had arrived. She should have known better than to think a trip to the Stark mansion was going to be a normal one…

Coming to the bottom of the stairs leading to the workshop, Pepper noticed the broken glass on the floor and the missing door. Her eyes widened at the sight and she felt panic rise within her. What had happened?! Had...? Pepper took a deep breath, thinking the situation over. Considering JARVIS nor Ed had mentioned a break in, Pepper realized she shouldn't need to worry.

Yet.

Taking another deep breath, she carefully made her way through the pieces of broken glass, slowly pushing larger chunks aside. What had happened? Had it been a robot? However, she almost laughed at that thought, remembering how 'soft-spoken' the robots were. They would never intentionally break something.

Perhaps it had been Tony with whatever 'non-weapon', the 'flight stabilizer', he had been working on and had fired. The ricochet of it had been violent enough. Maybe he had fixed it since… since…

Pepper stopped upon seeing Tony.

In the position he was in. At the annoyed comments he was making.

He was on a raised platform with multiple robotic arms reaching towards him as they tried to…

"What's going on here?" whispered Pepper in disbelief. What was Tony wearing…? It looked like an elaborate metal suit of armour coloured in red and gold.

Tony glanced behind him, finally spotting Pepper as the robotic arms were attempting to remove the suit.

"Let's face it," stated Tony. "This isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."

Pepper ignored that comment, slowly walking closer and studying the suit of armour and noticing… "Are – are those bullet holes?"

It had been less than 12 hours since the benefit…

What in the world had happened?

* * *

_A week later_

Even though Tony had somewhat explained the double dealing, the flight to and the resulting fight in Gulmira, Pepper still didn't feel like she had the whole story on what had transpired after he had left her at the benefit.

And she wasn't even considering the subject or cause of the fight between Tony and Ed.

The week had passed by in a blur for Pepper as she attempted keep the same manner of professionalism to convince the employees at Stark Industries that nothing had changed all the while hundreds of thoughts filtered through her mind.

Even though she was horrified that the company, that OBADIAH, was selling Stark Industries weapons to the enemy, what scared her more was what Tony was planning on doing about it.

He had been SHOT AT the last time he had gone to _fix_ the problem. And that was what she knew about. He was probably keeping the worse parts of the story from her…

Would – would that happen again?

Would…?

Would it get worse?

Pepper had attempted to talk to Ed about the situation, about possibly convincing Tony to think the next steps through, but the teenager was being stubborn and was refusing to even be in the same room as Tony. Besides, apparently the original fight they had had, had in part been caused by Ed talking to Tony about the problem he was trying to fix.

However, what had been said exactly… that was still a mystery.

Pepper was almost tempted to get JARVIS to show her the video feed of the fight.

Almost.

But… She didn't want to push those boundaries just yet.

She cared too much about both of them to invade their privacy in that way.

Pepper was in a tough position and wasn't sure what to do anymore.

Except for trying to get some answers one last time.

Ed hadn't been in her room or ensuite when Pepper had checked so, instead, she made her way downstairs to try and talk to Tony.

At the bottom of the stairs, she was glad to see that the pieces of glass had finally been picked up from the floor, even though the door frame remained empty. Stepping into the lab, she easily spotted Tony in the middle of working on that same metal suit. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before taking several steps forward.

"Hey, you busy?" asked Tony before she could say anything. He was fiddling with several items on the desk, barely having glanced in her direction. "Mind If I send you on an errand? I need you to go to my office. You're going to hack into the mainframe and you're going to retrieve all the recent shipping manifests. This is a lock chip." He finally looked at her, holding out an item that looked like a larger USB key. "This will get you in. It's probably under executive files. If not, they put it on a ghost drive, in which case, you need to look for the lowest numeric heading."

Pepper had wanted to get some answers about the fight but… She decided this request took priority and needed to be resolved. It had been bad enough that Tony had gone to Gulmira by himself earlier that week and had been shot at but now…

"And what do you plan you do with this information if I bring it back?" she asked, already having a feeling what the answer would be.

Tony went back to his suit, testing some of the wires. "Same drill," he said, confirming Pepper's fears. This had not been the conversation she had hoped to have but… "They've been dealing under the table, and I'm going to stop them. I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them."

"Tony," she sighed, already feeling worry begin to bubble within her. "You know that I would help you with anything but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this again." She didn't want him to get SHOT at, she didn't want him to get hurt…

"There is nothing except this," he nearly snapped, putting down his tool. "There's no art opening. There's no benefit. There is nothing to sign. There's the next mission and nothing else."

Each word was painful to hear, a stab in her. He was willing to throw everything in his life away to destroy those weapons. And he was asking her to help him do that.

To help him fall into a downward spiral which could result in… in…

"Is that so?" she asked shortly. "Well then, I quit." She tossed the lock chip onto the desk and turned around, not wanting to let him see her that agitated.

"You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction," he stated, making her stop. "And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I put in harms way, you're going to walk out?"

Pepper glanced behind her, breathing deeply. "You're going to kill yourself, Tony," she whispered, trying to keep her voice strong and even. "I'm not going to be a part of it."

She didn't want to be the one who had helped kill him…

"I shouldn't be alive," he stated offhandedly, sitting down, "unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right."

She exhaled slowly realizing she had been right with her assumption: she was not able to talk Tony out of anything. And his mind was made up. Even though she didn't want to help him go along with his dangerous plan, she knew he would get it done one way or another.

Maybe – just maybe – if she was there along the way, she could help limit the damage.

She walked back to the desk, picking up the lock chip and examining it intently. She was going to help because…

"You're all I have too, you know," whispered Pepper, lifting her gaze eyeing Tony carefully. He wasn't looking in her direction but she knew he was listening. "And, like it or not, you and I are all that teenager upstairs has too."

There was a subtle twitch in Tony's features at that last comment and Pepper took it as a small victory before turning around.

As she headed back to the staircase, she caught sight of Tony's reflection in the remaining glance, at how he was staring after her.

She couldn't help but smile softly.

* * *

_Stark Industries_

Pepper allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment, focusing on the elevator music that played in the background. She had timed her arrival at Stark Industries so that there would – should – be no one around.

She could do this.

The moment the elevator doors opened, she lifted her head, keeping her body relaxed before stepping out.

As expected, the surrounding desks were empty as Pepper made her way to the large doors leading to Tony's office. She placed a hand on the handle, hoping briefly that no one had snuck into the office itself before carefully pushing the door open.

A quick scan of the room showed her that it was empty and she stepped inside, double checking behind her in case anyone had seen her go in and had followed.

Still no one.

That was good news.

Once in the safety of the office, Pepper hurried to Tony's desk, taking a seat behind the computer. Moving the mouse, the login screen appeared, prompting her for the username and password.

Pepper ignored it, instead reaching into her bag for the lock chip. The moment she inserted it, she nearly jumped at the 'Security Breach' message that appeared on screen.

_Tony knows what he's doing. It should work._ She kept repeating those words to herself as she stared at the message, holding her breath as her heart pounded in time with the red flashing.

And then… She was logged into the computer. It had worked.

Pepper didn't bother taking a moment to celebrate as she began searching through the files, knowing her time was limited. At any moment, someone could just step into the office. She needed to find those shipping manifests and get out as quickly as possible.

She didn't exactly know how long it had taken because of the constant pounding of her heart but she did manage to find the ghost drive.

Several folders were in it and some held manifests and shipping orders, just as Tony had said they would. They next folder…

Pepper frowned, having opened the one entitled TOP_SECRET SECTOR 16. Inside were blueprints of… an immense suit of armour?

"What are you up to Obadiah?" she whispered, recognizing the concept from the suit Tony had built. Was Obadiah trying to recreate it? At a larger scale?

How had he known about it?

Tony had not allowed Obadiah to see what was in the workshop. Pepper even figured that the concept of the gold and red suit of armour wasn't on the Stark Industries servers.

So…? How had he done it?

Pepper shook her head as she closed the folder, wanting to get back on task. Those were questions for a later time.

The next folder, titled ULTRA_SECRET SECTOR 0XX, only had one video in it. Opening it, Pepper saw a group of men, their faces mostly covered in scarves or other fabrics, surrounding one person in particular, the one with a bag over their head. She didn't understand what was being said as –

Her eyes widened as the bag was pulled off and Tony sat there, staring at the camera in confusion.

Pepper took a shaky breath as he typed in the quick command to translate what was being said in the video.

"You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Tony Stark," an automated voice said over the man's words. "As you can see, Obadiah Stane –"

"Oh, my God," whispered Pepper in shock.

"– your deception and lies will cost you dearly. The price to kill Tony Stark has just gone up."

Pepper didn't need to – didn't want to – hear anymore of the video and she closed it, taking a shaky breath as she digested that news. She initiated the copying of all the folders on the ghost drive as... She was still trying to wrap her mind around the situation… Not only had Obadiah been double dealing but had been the reason that Tony had gone missing for three months.

That video was proof enough to –

"So –"

Pepper gasped in surprise, jumping slightly as she looked up, seeing the last person she had wanted to come across standing at the doorway.

"– what are we going to do about this?" asked Obadiah as he slowly entered the room.

Pepper watched him, staying perfectly still at the desk, hoping he didn't hear the pounding of her heart. He was still walking as he hummed in a questioning manner, heading towards Tony's liquor display. The silence was almost unbearable for Pepper as the two of them continued to stare at each other as if waiting for the other to crack.

She didn't know what the question referred to and she didn't want to offer an type of response that could potentially blow her task to oblivion.

"I know what you're going through, Pepper," said Obadiah as he uncapped the decanter of whiskey.

Pepper ignored that comment, especially considering he had wanted Tony killed… Besides, what he understood was beyond her. Instead, she glanced briefly towards the screen, noticing sadly that the files were still in the process of copying.

She needed more time.

As Obadiah lifted the decanter, his gaze was locked on Pepper as he said, "Tony. He always gets the good stuff, doesn't he?" And he proceeded to take a whiff of the whiskey.

Pepper hesitantly smiled and nodded, not particularly caring for the double-meaning nor the intense staring. However, she needed to stay at the computer until the copies had finished and she needed to act as calm and unbothered as possible to be able to leave with the incriminating information.

As Obadiah began pouring himself a glass of whiskey, Pepper ever so slowly moved the newspaper on the desk closer to the computer to hide the lock chip. Another glance at the screen showed that the files were still being copied and she bit back a groan of irritation.

Obadiah had finished pouring his drink and was making his way around to her.

Acting quickly and discreetly, Pepper moved the mouse enough to open a drop down menu to activate the screensaver, just as Obadiah was within distance to see what was on the screen.

He stopped walking, standing over Pepper's shoulder and, from the corner of her eye, she noticed how he was focused on the computer and not on her. He wanted to know what she had been doing.

"I was so glad when he came home," said Obadiah slowly, as if he was making the words up as he went along. "It was like we got him back from the dead."

Pepper schooled her features, not wanting to react to those words.

Not when the person saying them was the one to order the kill on Tony.

She took a steady breath, trying to ignore the overpowering scent of Obadiah's cologne as he circled around her and took a seat on top of the desk.

"Now I realize," he began and Pepper could finally turn towards him, to actually look at him. "Well, Tony never really did come home, did he? He left part of himself in that cave. Breaks my heart."

Pepper hesitated at that statement. Even though there was immense hate for the man in front of her, she didn't find herself disagreeing with him.

Tony had left a part of himself in that cave but it was the worse parts of him.

The Tony she had seen for the past several months was different, more responsible and – dare she say it? – more considerate to the world around him.

Did he still have a way to go? Yes. The still mysterious fight with Ed and the discussion she and Tony had just that morning were proof enough. However, where he was now was leagues away from where he had been before his capture.

"Perhaps that… psychologist he's seeing will put the pieces back together," stated Obadiah, staring at her intently. "I can't say for sure though since I couldn't find anything on her for references."

Oh no… Pepper realized that he was now dragging Ed into this. "She came highly recommended," she replied, thinking quickly. They should have seen this coming, that he would dig for information. How much he had put together was another story…

"Really?" He even had the cockiness to tilt his head to the side. "By whom?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Pepper realized there was someone's authority he would not dare question and it could buy them time. "Peggy Carter," she replied, keeping her gaze steady as she stared right back at him. Pepper could only hope that that answer would be enough to divert the subject off of Ed and her fake persona of Gracia, the psychologist.

"And, as for Tony," continued Pepper, "he's a complicated person." Obadiah was staring at her now as he took a sip of his drink, almost looking as if he was schooling his features. He must not have liked her answer, of her bringing up Peggy. "He's been through a lot. I think he'll be alright," she added, nodding more to herself, to remind herself that he was.

Obadiah seemed to be thinking that statement over. "You are a very rare woman," he said and Pepper forced herself to smile at that comment. "Tony doesn't know how lucky he is."

Pepper needed to push herself to chuckle as she looked away, unease settling in. "Thank you," she said, attempting to actually look at him. "Thanks." This whole situation had been enough for her and she hoped the files had finished copying. "I'd better get back there," she said, pushing herself up. As one hand reached for her bag, the other went to the newspaper, sliding it just so that she could unplug the lock chip.

She just hoped the movement was subtle enough to not alert Obadiah.

He didn't seem to be following her as she circled around the desk and she reminded herself to take even and casual steps, almost slowing down just to make sure she didn't power walk out of there. Her beating heart didn't help her keep calm but she needed to, just for a few more steps.

"Is that today's paper?" asked Obadiah, making Pepper almost stumble to a halt her eyes wide.

She was almost to the door!

Refocusing once more, Pepper glanced back at Obadiah with a soft smile and a, "Yes.".

He was already heading in her direction a somewhat welcoming smile on his face with his hand outstretched. She barely had time to lift the newspaper and it was already in his hand.

"The puzzle," he explained, stopping too close to her and pulled the newspaper away, holding it up.

"Of course," replied Pepper, nodding a few times and forcing another smile in an attempt to mask the unease she felt at his proximity.

It took a moment before Pepper took a deliberate step back and turned to walk out the still open door.

"Take care," said Obadiah.

It was only after a few steps that Pepper had enough courage to look back to nod and send a smile in his direction. Even if her entire being was telling her to run out of the building, she needed to maintain her composure.

Opening her closed fist, Pepper eyed the lock chip and the green light on it, the indication that the files had been copied successfully.

She had a moment of relief as she headed to the stairs, not trusting the elevators: she just wanted to get out of the building as soon as possible and couldn't risk the elevators malfunctioning.

Pepper didn't kid herself with the current situation: she knew that, the moment she was out of sight, Obadiah would check what she had been doing on the computer.

He may even see that she had gone snooping and had copied files from the server.

Her only hope was that he wouldn't cause a scene in the office to stop her. If he did, he would be exposing the documents she now had on the lock chip.

That lock chip was her key to a successful exit.

Just to be safe, she picked up the pace slightly.

The more flights of stairs Pepper descended, the more she felt her heartbeat hammer in her chest as she thought over what she was going to do once she was out.

Her initial plan had been to go back to Tony's mansion with the information but… Wasn't there anyone who could –

"Miss Potts? We had an appointment."

Pepper had reached the lobby by then and her gaze snapped up to see Agent Coulson sitting comfortably, looking up at her with his overly calm expression.

"Did you forget about our appointment?" he asked and Pepper found the answer to her previous question, a plan falling into place in her mind.

"Nope, right now," she said quickly. "Come with me." She motioned with a tilt of her head as she marched past him.

"Right now?" he asked, scurrying to pick up his bag and following her.

"We're going to have it right now. Yeah, walk with me."

"Okay."

She was thankful that he went along with the whole situation, keeping pace next to her.

After a few more steps, Pepper glanced behind her and spotted Obadiah on the second floor, staring down at them intensely. However, he didn't move. He just watched them. At least she had been correct: he wasn't going to cause a scene.

"I'm going to give you the meeting of your life," she stated, glancing towards Agent Coulson. "Your office."

* * *

It had been several hours from the time Pepper had fled Stark Industries with Agent Coulson and she still had not managed to feel any more comfortable with what had and was currently transpiring.

The jarring realization that OBADIAH had been the one to pay someone to kill Tony…

It still made her insides twist in horror.

As Agent Coulson was assembling a team to go back to Stark Industries and arrest Obadiah, Pepper pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial for Tony's number.

In all the chaos, she had only been able to try two other times to get a hold of him but neither one had been successful.

The third try didn't look all that good either…

_Why wasn't he answering?_ She wondered, biting her bottom lip in worry.

"Miss Potts?"

Pepper looked up and Agent Coulson motioned for her to follow. She would be accompanying the agents considering she could easily get them on the premises on top of knowing the layout of Stark Industries and where sector 16 would be located.

Even though she had no idea what Obadiah was using it for.

As she walked alongside the agents, he took a chance and hit the speed dial number once again, bringing the phone to her ear.

One ring.

_Please…_

Two rings.

_Tony, pick up…_

Three ri-

It stopped ringing. Someone had picked up and Pepper's heart skipped a beat, hope flaring at… at…

"Tony?" _Why wasn't anyone answering? _"Tony?" Still no answer. "Tony, are you there? Hello?"

And then, all Pepper heard was a dial tone.

A… dial tone…

"Miss Potts, did you get through?" asked Agent Coulson, slowing down to walk beside her.

She shook her head, staring at the phone.

_He needed to be alright_.

_He was going to be alright_.

Pepper picked up the pace to keep up with the other agents, reigning in her fear. It wouldn't do anyone any good, not now, not with the situation at hand.

Besides, Tony wasn't alone.

Pepper mentally reminded herself that, once this whole affair was over with, she would need to get Ed a cellphone to be able to contact her.

In the meantime,…

Hopefully it worked.

She pulled up the video call function on her phone, finding Ed's tablet after some searching. She was thankful that both her phone and the tablet were Stark tech and therefore were able to communicate with each other.

It took a moment after hitting the button 'Call' for the connection to be made before it began ringing. Pepper stared at the screen for –

Disconnected.

_Keep it together_, she thought to herself, pushing away the dark scenarios that crept up. _I still have options_.

And she hoped that, this time, _someone_ would pick up.

And they thankfully did after only one ring.

"Pepper?" answered Rhodey, sounding puzzled.

"Oh, thank God," she breathed, happy to be speaking with SOMEBODY. "Rhodey, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to go check on Tony at the house."

"Is he in trouble?" asked Rhodey in confusion.

"He may be. I don't know. Possibly. Obadiah had contracted terrorists to kill Tony. That's why he was missing for all those months. And now that I have proof of it, I – I believe Obadiah may go to Tony. But I don't know if he will. But can you –?"

"Wait, what do you mean? He paid to have Tony killed?" repeated Rhodey, confusion clear in his voice.

"Obadiah, he's why Tony was kidnapped and held hostage. They wanted more money from Obadiah when they found out that –"

"Pepper slow down. Why would Obadiah –?"

"I don't know why," she cut in, exasperated.

"Okay," he replied, seeming to finally understand. "So, Tony's supposed to be at his home?"

Pepper nodded as she walked into a parking garage alongside the other agents. "I'm hoping he still is," she replied. "But they're not answering," she continued, keeping up with Agent Coulson in particular.

"They?" repeated Rhodey but Pepper didn't want to get into that conversation just yet… She just needed him to check at the house.

"Please, just go over there and make sure everything's okay," she whispered.

There was moment of silence before Rhodey said, "Of course. I'm heading there now."

Relief washed over Pepper at those words. "Thank you, Rhodey," she said before hanging up.

One problem had been taken care of so now, onto the next one.

"I know a shortcut," said Pepper as she got into the passenger's side of Agent Coulson's vehicle.

She just hoped that Rhodey got to the house in time.

* * *

_This is probably the longest uninterrupted POV that isn't Ed's and I hope the readers have enjoyed it! Y'all probably have an idea of what's coming up! ;D_

_Let me know what you thought!_

_Stay safe!_


	17. Chapter 17 - Back to Old Habits

_Thank you all so much to all you readers and all the wonderful reviews you have been leaving!_

_Enjoy!_

_Previously: Tony had asked Pepper to go to Stark Industries to retrieve all the manifests from a ghost drive on the company server for any illegal shipments of weapons. There Pepper is confronted by Obadiah but, seeing as he wanted to keep face and not cause a scene, Pepper managed to leave the building with Agent Coulson. She was on her way back to S.I. with several agents to arrest Obadiah. However, she was unable to reach either Tony or Ed and called Rhodey to go check on them._

* * *

_Ed's POV - __A week after the fight_

I slowly peered out of my room, down the corridor, waiting a moment to be able to confirm that it was indeed empty.

I had heard Pepper arrive and leave in the afternoon while I had been outside but I never heard her return since that time. That had been hours ago…

Maybe my sneaking around would be successful if she wasn't here: one less person to worry about it.

Now, if I could say the same for the other person remaining in the house.

It had been a week and Tony and I had successfully managed to avoid each other, as much talking to actually seeing each other, during that time period.

To be fair, it wasn't exactly difficult seeing as we stayed on different floors during that time but still.

The closest we had gotten to each other was about five meters, as I had been heading back to my room and Tony had been leaving his lab.

We had barely even glanced at each other.

Well, it didn't matter: I wasn't going to apologize and he needed to get his head out of his ass.

It wasn't my fault he didn't like the truth.

But…

The conversation I had had with Peggy the other day came to mind. She had managed to convince me to try having a _video _call of all things on the tablet. It had taken several minutes to figure out how it worked and I was only successful after Peggy had called me for the third time in a row and JARVIS had told me which button to press.

The moment I could see Peggy on the screen – which, once again, was another impressive show of how far technology had progressed – it didn't take long for her to ask the same thing Pepper had asked.

"What happened?"

Apparently, I still was an open book with my emotions. I had only briefly explained the fight with Tony after some prodding and an unamused stare from Peggy's part and, from the look on her face, she didn't seem all that surprised.

"The two of you together may be the best or worst thing to happen to each other," she had said. "But, you do know that you can't fix everyone's problems either, right?"

I hadn't particularly liked that comment and, considering my face was apparently over expressive, Peggy knew that as well without me saying it out loud.

I knew she was right but, at the same time, I couldn't just sit back and NOT do something about it...

I guessed the stubbornness had never really left.

Going back to my sneaking around this stupidly large house, I did a quick glance around the living room, finding it deserted, the lights turned down and the room almost dark. Good, he wasn't there and I hoped he was anywhere else but in his workshop downstairs.

All I wanted to do was check on the progress on my arm…

IF he even decided to keep working on it…

With a grumble, I crossed the living room and pressed the button for the elevator. I didn't want to use the stairs considering Tony would most likely see me coming if he was downstairs and I definitely didn't want that.

The elevator and adjoining room would work much better to accommodate my sneaking: not only did Tony never really use the elevator but, I could see if he was there or not from the small room.

I had almost been tempted to get JARVIS to tell me if Tony was down there or not or even show me a video feed of the workshop but…

I didn't have much else to do at the moment and it did get me out of my room.

My head was swimming from all the research I had been doing for the past several days. I had hit a roadblock with the energy required to power either one of the transmutation circles and I needed a break.

Hence my sneaking around.

Stepping out of the elevator, I slowly and quietly made my way to the door, straining my ears to catch anything on the other side.

Even though there wasn't any music blasting from the workshop, it didn't mean that asshole wasn't there.

I inched the door open and began scanning the large room, trying to see if I could spot him.

Nothing.

The workshop was empty.

I couldn't believe my luck!

Hurrying into the room, I glanced over the many, messy desks, trying to spot which one had my arm. If it had even been created by now…

If it had, I could at least take a quick look and maybe even take a picture with my tablet to study it later.

That was, if I managed to remember just HOW to take a picture with it…

Now, where –?

I froze, hearing a rumble of a car motor growing louder.

Coming from the ramp.

A quick count of the cars told me none were missing but, did Tony have others stashed somewhere else?

I hadn't even realized he had left.

No… He wouldn't have left.

I hadn't heard anything either.

I ducked behind the closest desk out of precaution and…

What the fuck?

A large white van screeched to a halt in the middle of the workshop and I blinked, remembering a similar one – if not THAT one – the day Tony and I had flown off to Washington D.C. to visit Peggy.

Happy had mentioned that they had been paparazzi but – having looked up that word on a later date – I didn't think people who wanted photographs of famous people would break into someone's house, like they just did.

The side door of the van swung open and out poured several darkly dressed figures, some carrying what looked like empty duffel bags and they spread out, heading to different desks.

And started collecting items.

Holy FUCK! They were robbers! How –?

HOW THE FUCK DID THEY GET PASS JARVIS?!

JARVIS would have kept them out. He had alerted Tony in Washington. And even this week, while I had been outside, a darkened boat had gotten too close to the mansion and JARVIS' voice had warned them away along with a bright spotlight.

Something – something had happened to JARVIS…

And… If that was the case where – where was Tony in all this?

Fuck…

Ok, one thing at a time: these intruders were not going to leave here with Tony's inventions. If JARVIS as a security system wasn't going to work then _I_ would be the security.

I shuffled along the side of the desk, keeping myself hidden as much as possible as I neared one of the intruders.

They hadn't scanned around to see if anyone else had been down here so I had the advantage, the element of surprise.

I just needed to put my tablet down to –

Sound blared from said FUCKING tablet. Who the FUCK was calling me NOW?! I knew that sound all too well from when Peggy had tried calling me and I truly hoped it wasn't her at the moment!

Sadly, it alerted all of the intruders and they all turned in my direction.

There went the element of surprise…

Honestly, it must have been pure instinct because, to not only silence that damn tablet but to begin the fight, I dashed towards the nearest man and I smashed the piece of technology clear across his head.

The tablet broke and the man went down.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the intruders start to pull out guns so I kicked the man that was already on the ground to make sure he stayed down before jumping over him and dashing to the next one.

Just as he raised his gun, I grabbed it, pushing it away from me and kneeing him in the stomach. He doubled over and I yanked the gun away, slamming it across his face.

Then the others started shooting.

I ducked and dove behind one of the many cars, hearing the bullets hit the metal. I took a deep breath, going through my options and…

The gun still in my hand.

I could have used it. It would have been simple and the intruders would have been taken care of.

But…

I didn't WANT to use it anymore.

I had injured enough people with a gun.

It needed to stop.

Now.

I came to that decision just as one of the intruders turned the corner around the car and I landed a solid kick on his leg, making him fall forward. I raised my hand, the one still holding the gun, and slammed it into his face as he came down. He rolled away, groaning in pain, losing his own gun in the process.

Good.

I tossed mine under the car before getting to my feet, still staying crouched. I didn't know where the others were.

Yet.

Thankfully, there were many reflective surfaces around the workshop and I was going to use them to my advantage.

On the window of the car across from me, I spotted another intruder slowly making their way from the left and, after checking under the car behind me, I headed to the right where the coast was clear. Having spent so many hours down in the workshop was a damn good advantage because I knew where everything was.

Well… everything except for my damn automail…

As I circled around the car, I spotted another intruder a few meters away as he seemed to be watching the other's back. Two more were making their way through the desks, packing away pretty much everything they could get their hands on.

Wait… I squinted, eyeing one of them in particular. He looked familiar.

Which the idea of itself was bizarre enough considering I had barely met anyone since being thrown in 2009. So, who…?

My eyes widened as the answer hit me. Of course, I recognized him! He had been the one to try and DROWN me on the beach when I had first arrived! A quick scan of the others told me his accomplice wasn't among them which was some good news but…

Hadn't the police been called? Shouldn't he have been in jail?

If so, then what was he doing HERE of all places?

He…

I shook my head. Now was not the time to figure this out: I had intruders to take care of.

It was time to kick some ass.

After taking a deep breath, I sprinted out of my hiding spot, running head first into the nearest intruder, tackling him. We slammed a desk before hitting the floor. I vaguely heard a gun clattering away and smirked.

We shall see how good he was without his weapon.

As he tried to shove me, I used the momentum to roll off to the side, spotting one of them, a woman this time, raise her gun in my direction. I just smirked at her, grasping a nearby chair and flinging it in her direction.

Her eyes widened upon seeing the chair flying considering I had used a bit of _extra _strength. She dove aside but my attention was drawn to the other two intruders as they dropped what they were doing and began weaving their way towards me.

Fine, I could handle them.

I reached onto one of the many tables, grabbing the first large object I could reach and –

A wrench.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

I swung said wrench across the head of the man on the floor before dashing towards the woman.

A saving grace from those guns could be that they did not want to shoot one of their own. Therefore, getting into close combat with one could help me in the end.

Could.

Having recovered from diving away from the thrown chair, the woman raised her gun once more, aiming it at me. I swung the wrench again, knocking the weapon just as she shot and the bullet impacted somewhere behind me.

Thankfully, she didn't seem willing to continue her attempts at shooting me and she tossed the gun aside, taking her own swing at me.

I ducked under the punch, raising –

She nailed me with a kick to the side.

Damn, should have known better than to underestimate them…

Taking a deep breath, I side-stepped, trying to get her in between me and her 'colleagues', still aware of the guns they carried.

She, however, just kept bridging the gap, either attempting to punch or kick me and all I could do for the moment was block her attacks, never having a good enough footing or opportunity to fight back.

Apparently, the few solo sparring sessions I had managed to do during the months I had been here had not exactly been enough. Not for several trained fighters with guns…

I was a tad rusty…

And I was NOT proud of that fact.

Finally – finally! – I spotted an opening and I swung the wrench up, nailing her under her chin and she staggered back, cursing out. I kept pace with her, swinging the wrench to her side and then her arm.

The last one, she caught it and yanked it towards her, pulling me along with it.

And kneed me in the stomach.

I finally let go of the wrench, groaning as I fell to one knee, trying to –

I was yanked back, an arm around my neck that was squeezing tightly.

"My, my, we meet again," said a male voice behind me, one that I recognized all too well: it was that asshole from the beach.

He had had the upper hand once and I wasn't going to let him do it again.

I used my weight and some strength to lean forward, making his grip strain as he pulled back.

Then, I pushed myself back.

Hard.

With my extra force, my head smacked solidly with his face and he cried out, letting his arm drop from around my neck.

Not wasting any time, I performed a high kick, spinning to give me enough force that, when it hit the woman, she staggered to the side, even when she had tried to block it. I then ran towards her, taking advantage of her unbalance and kicked again, nailing her on the side of the knee. She crumpled, yelling out in pain but I didn't give her time to recover.

She got a solid elbow to the head.

And she hit the floor, unconscious.

Two more to go.

I whirled around, spotting the man from the beach cradling his broken nose as blood flowed from it. The other one –

I froze, seeing him with his gun raised and aimed in my direction.

Not good…

"So much for no one else being here," he grumbled, eyeing me carefully.

"I enjoy disproving expectations," I replied, catching some movement from behind that man. "But you should have already known there was someone here, DUM-E."

The man frowned, most likely thinking I was insulting him. To be fair, I was but it was more of a signal to DUM-E who used his fire extinguisher, spraying the man with foam.

The man yelled out in surprise and I grabbed the nearest thing on the desk, hurling it in his direction.

It smacked him right in the face.

With the amount of foam around him, he slipped, falling flat on his ass, disappearing into the cloud of white. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before dashing towards the other man who was trying in vain to wipe the blood from his face.

"You'll pay for that," he grumbled, using his sleeve once more but he only managed to smear the blood around. "And this time, Stark won't come to save you."

Those words sobered me up quickly.

What did he mean…?

Where – where was Tony?

Well, what I did know was that I needed to finish my fight with these two assholes as soon as possible to be able to search for Tony around the mansion.

To make sure nothing had happened to him.

Without another word, I dashed towards him, my fist raised for a punch.

And he fell for it.

He went to block my supposed punch and, instead, I whirled around on myself, raising my elbow and nailing him in the chest. I followed up with a kick to the hip and another one to his arm.

Take that you –

I was shoved to the side, smacking against a desk and I heard multiple things clatter to the floor. I, however, was more focused on the throbbing from my ribs and the weight of the other asshole pressing against me.

And that was without mentioning that fire extinguisher foam that fell around us!

"Get off!" I growled out, wiggling as I tried to get free.

Of course, he didn't listen so, instead, I grasped the closest, heaviest thing I could reach and slammed it across the man's forehead.

And he crumpled like a leaf.

Right on top of me.

I groaned out, cursing under my breath at how fucking heavy this asshole was. This was not what I had hoped would happen…

Besides, there was still one more person to take care of.

With a final huff, I shoved the man off my back and quickly scanned the room for –

FUCK!

I let myself fall to the floor as bullets flew over me. He had gotten his fucking gun back!

"The more you prolong this, punk, the harder it'll be for you," said the man as best he could with the blood and broken nose.

"You should know by now I won't make it easy for you, asshole!" I snapped back, squatting behind the desk and chair, watching his movements from underneath to determine in which direction he was walking.

Readjusting my position, a plan formed in my mind to distract him to get close enough without getting shot.

I shoved the nearest chair away from me and I noticed how the man turned to follow the movement. Good, that was what I wanted him to do. Meanwhile, I shuffled backwards in the opposite direction and around a desk, still managing to keep the man's legs in sight.

As I kept backing up, I spotted several pieces of metal underneath a table. I grabbed a piece that looked heavy but small enough to easily throw.

And that was exactly what I did.

I threw it away from me, diagonally from where the chair had been pushed and that idiot took the bait. The resulting clatter of the metal drew his attention and he headed in that direction.

Meanwhile, I could circle around and come up behind him.

Carefully and silently grabbing another wrench, I stood and crept towards him.

He only noticed me behind him when it was too late.

"Payback," I stated already swinging the wrench and hitting him solidly on the head.

He even did an amusing spin on his way down.

That should have been the last of them.

And, a quick scan of the workshop confirmed that all of the intruders had been taken care of and nothing had been stolen.

Take that you –

FUCK! TONY!

I tossed the wrench to the side as I sprinted towards the staircase. One of them had even mentioned how Tony wouldn't be able to help this time. Something – something must have happened! I needed to –

I skidded to a halt, hearing the elevator doors open and a solid bang, as if something hit the wall. My gaze flickered from the stairs to the elevator room before making a choice and turning heel, heading towards the room instead.

Thankfully I had…

Tony stumbled out of said room, pale and covered in sweat, his breathing ragged as he leaned heavily against the doorframe.

And… and his arc reactor was missing.

We locked eyes for a moment and I finally realized my breathing was shaky, my body frozen in surprise.

Who…? Who had done this…?

Only when Tony started moving – STAGGERING – forward did I race towards him, catching him just before he fell face first onto the floor.

The shrapnel in him… The arc reactor was the only thing keeping it out of his heart…

I tried to control my shaking arm as I readjusted my grip on him and had him lean heavily on me.

"Arc… reactor…," he breathed out and I quickly nodded, glancing back towards the stairs.

"I – I can catch whoever did this," I stated, already dragging him to the nearest car to get him to lean on that instead.

"No… Gone – gone now…"

My breath caught at those words. No. No there had to be something I could do. He…

He could die…

"Box… Glass… Ex-extra reactor…"

Those words sounded weaker than the previous ones and dread began to fill me. He couldn't…

I WOULDN'T let him die!

Getting him to lean against the car, I whirled around, scanning the desks for any glass box that held an –

THERE!

I sprinted towards it, picking it up and, having taken a quick glance at the box itself and finding no easy way of opening it…

I smashed it against the metal table, shattering the container.

"Fu…"

I glanced behind just as Tony slid along the side of the car and crumpled onto the floor.

No, no, NO!

I yanked the arc reactor from the base and sprinted back to him, falling to my knees beside him.

He was not going to die today.

I didn't want to be useless AGAIN!

Useless like I had been with Al, Nina, Dr. Erskine, Mustang, Bucky, and Steve…

Mom…

I was not going to go through it again with Tony!

Trying to keep a steady hand, I pushed Tony onto his back. He looked ever paler now, his breathing much too shallow. I – I could barely hear his heartbeat anymore…

Keep it together!

"_Don't you dare die on me, you bastard!_" I growled out, grabbing the arc reactor.

He had never exactly explained how the arc reactor was connected or even WHAT it was connected to but, from the wire that was dangling from the piece itself, I was sure I could figure it out.

I didn't exactly have much of a choice.

My entire body was shaking as I went to connect the wire to… something inside Tony's chest, attempting to ignore whatever that thick liquid in there was.

Come on… Come on!

I finally managed to connect the wire and hurriedly placed the arc reactor itself into the hole, watching it light up under my hand.

Was – was that enough…?

I stared at Tony's face, holding my breath, hoping to see… ANY sign that this arc reactor was working, that it was enough to save him.

That he wasn't going to die…

Finally – FINALLY! – I saw that his ragged breathing was evening out.

It… It HAD worked!

I exhaled shakily in relief, leaning forward completely, weariness setting in from the fight and the fear for Tony's life.

I didn't even care that I was resting my head on his sweat-drenched shoulder.

He was alive.

That was all that mattered.

I didn't lose him too…

I took another shaky breath, then another, hearing both my and Tony's heartbeats slowly return to a normal… normal…

Tony… He – he had reached for my hand, the one still over his arc reactor. His grip wasn't the tightest but…

Shockingly, not only did I let him, I… I rotated my hand enough to grip his tightly. It helped ground me, proving that he wasn't going anywhere.

Even though I couldn't stand him sometimes, I didn't want to lose him too, not on top of everyone else…

I had lost ENOUGH people. It needed to stop. It –

"–ny! Hey, Tony!"

My body snapped up upon hearing that voice echoing from upstairs. You can't fucking be serious?!

Who else was there?!

I stumbled to my feet, reaching for the closest object near me, ready to kick whoever's ass it was that was now running down the stairs.

I placed myself between Tony and the exit just as a man jumped the last few steps, calling out for Tony once more and stepping into the workshop.

And then he stopped suddenly upon seeing me.

His hand automatically reached behind him as he frowned in my direction. Not another gun… "Who are you?" he asked, eyeing me cautiously. Thankfully, he hadn't pulled it out.

Yet.

"You first," I snapped back. "Anyone seems to be able to get in here today."

The man's frown deepened in confusion and I caught him briefly scanning around the workshop, probably taking in the unconscious intruders.

It was clear though, the moment he spotted Tony on the floor behind me, his demeanor changed as his eyes widened in surprise and he took several steps forward.

I just blocked his way once again.

"Who. Are. You?" I repeated sternly.

"A friend," he snapped back, his gaze flickering back to Tony. "Now let me –"

"Funny, for a _friend_, I haven't seen you around here in the last FOUR months," I interrupted, still not moving from in front of Tony.

I was… surprised to see the flash of guilt and hurt pass through his features. Maybe he truly was a friend but… Why hadn't he been by? Why hadn't I heard of him? Had Tony just decided not to talk about him but they truly did know each other?

But, could I take that risk?

"Platypus, Short Stuff, enough…"

Those words were not the strongest but they were much better than how Tony had been talking before when he had staggered into the workshop.

I turned slightly to see Tony push himself up, massaging his chest as he eyed both of us tiredly.

"Down, both of you," he added with a wave of his hand before focusing on the man. "Where's Pepper?"

Uh… Maybe the man had been telling the truth about being a friend.

"She's safe," he replied, cautiously moving closer, eyeing me as he did. "She's with several agents and they're going to arrest Obadiah at S.I.."

Even though my eyes widened at the news, I felt anger bubble within me at that asshole's name. "He did this?" I growled out. I knew he was an asshole but to do this… to hurt…

I WILL KICK HIS ASS!

Tony nodded as he slowly tried to push himself up with shaking arms. The man and I took a step forward to help but Tony sent us a look that made us stop and merely watch him finally get to his feet.

And he probably just noticed at that point the state of the workshop as he scanned the things around him with a slight air of surprise.

Well, to be fair, there had been _some_ damages done during the fighting.

"Short Stuff, I didn't imagine gun shots, did I?" muttered Tony, eyeing the nearest intruder who just happened to be the one with the broken and bloody nose.

"No, you didn't," I replied, shaking my head before remembering what got shot. "I know a car got damaged. If any thing else got hit, well…" I shrugged, looking around too.

"Did you?"

I shook my head. "Do I look like I got shot?"

He sent me a look and I understood the second question as well. "Didn't shoot either," I added with a mumble.

There was a moment of silence before the man whose nickname – I hoped it was a nickname – was Platypus asked, "What did they want?"

"Whatever they could get their hands on," I replied with a shrug. "Didn't work though. I mean… Down here…," I added, eyeing Tony and his arc reactor.

"So, the two of you fought them off?" asked… Platypus.

Tony shook his head. "All this mess is Short Stuff's doing. You will be cleaning up after yourself, you know that, right?"

Unbelievable. I protected all of HIS things and I was going to be the one who was going to CLEAN?

I rolled my eyes as I snapped back, "Well, you need to check on what the fuck happened to JARVIS that allowed these assholes into the house."

"Wait, wait, wait," cut in Platypus, eyeing the two of us even as Tony didn't listen to his 'wait' instruction and was heading towards a computer. "You're telling me that a kid with a prosthetic arm took down three armed –"

"There were four."

"– FOUR armed men –"

"One was a woman actually."

He sent me a look of annoyance. "– FOUR armed INDIVIDUALS, alone and was going to use said prosthetic arm against me?"

What…? I was going to do what?

I finally took a look at what exactly I had picked up to defend myself against Platypus and… Damn, it truly was my arm.

My NEW arm.

There were still metal plate coverings that were missing in some spots but the base of it, the main part, looked complete. It resembled Winry's design but… It had less lines and the plates had slightly rounder edges.

And it weighed less than any of my old ones!

"I didn't know you had finished it," I stated, glancing towards Tony.

"I didn't finish it," he responded. "I was still doing tests."

"It works?"

"So far."

"Wait," cut in Platypus, holding up his hands. "Not only did you fight them off, you did so _without_ an arm?"

I even spotted Tony look up from his computer screen, also waiting for an answer. Even though he probably had no reason to not believe me, he probably also didn't expect me to have been able to do it.

"Well, yes, I did," I replied with a shrug, leaning my automail on my shoulder. "DUM-E helped with the fire extinguisher."

DUM-E even beeped happily at the mention of his name.

Tony and his friend glanced between myself and the unconscious intruders before sharing a look.

"Who is –?"

"I'll share the story later," interrupted Tony, typing away at his computer. "For now, round these bad guys up while I get JARVIS back online and get to S.I.."

"But I told you, Pepper has some agents with her," repeated Platypus.

"It won't be enough," said Tony, motioning for us to hurry.

The man and I shared a look and I shrugged, not ready to argue about this just yet. I put my arm down and started looking around for anything to tie the intruders' wrists together.

"Here, found some tie wraps," said the man, handing me some.

"Thanks," I said as I grabbed them.

Before I could head to the first one, Platypus asked, "I know Tony used your nickname but what should I call you?"

"Ed's fine and he's lucky I haven't kicked his ass because of that name," I replied, slightly annoyed because Tony would probably NEVER stop calling me that, before motioning to the man. "And your name's not Platypus I take it?"

He shook his head quickly. "Only Tony calls me that. I'm Colonel James Rhodes but you can call me what you'd like."

I slowly nodded in acknowledgement but I was more stunned by the fact that – once _again_! – there was a damn Colonel in my life. I just couldn't seem to escape that fact: it just continued to haunt me!

Rhodes and I split up, heading to different unconscious intruders and I wondered for a moment how I would manage to actually tie them up with just one hand…

Oh well. I would get creative. I didn't particularly care for asking for help because of my handicap anyway.

And by creative, what I had meant was holding the man's arms behind his back by stepping on said arms and using my one hand to secure the tie wrap.

As I did, I saw Rhodes from the corner of my eye as he dragged one of the intruders to the van and tossed them into the back before heading to the next one. I huffed softly, knowing that he would be able to tie them up quicker than I could.

"Tones, be real with me now." I slowed what I was doing, curious to know what Rhodes was whispering about to Tony. He clearly didn't want me to hear it seemed. "Is he your kid?"

_Seriously?!_

I looked up, spotting Tony staring at me with a knowing smirk.

"I told you it would have been a better cover story," he said, his voice louder than Rhodes' had been as he kept his smug look.

I flipped him off before grabbing the unconscious man by the back of the sweater and hauling him towards the van. I didn't exactly care for him being right about that…

"You didn't answer my question, though," continued Rhodes, no longer whispering. At least he a was smart enough to understand that it wouldn't do any good to try to remain sneaky.

"You actually may not believe the truth," replied Tony and my eyes widened. Was he actually going to –? "And Short Stuff, how ever much you trust Pepper, you can trust Rhodey, got it?"

What…? How…?

I opened my mouth, closed it before finally nodding half-heartedly. I would humour him for the moment until I got more answers from both of them.

"Good, you kids need to play nice together," added Tony, pointing a finger to Rhodes – Rhodey? Another nickname? – and myself. "Because I'm heading out. Now. J, get the suit ready."

"You're going against Obadiah _with _the suit?" I asked in surprise as the mechanical arms began getting the pieces ready. "What…? Why?"

"He took my new arc reactor and I have a feeling I know what he needs it for," replied Tony solemnly, getting onto the platform and letting the mechanical arms begin the assembly.

I walked up next to Rhodey and we both watched with wide eyes as the pieces were put into place, connecting almost effortlessly together.

Even though this would be the third time that I knew of that Tony had been in the suit, I hadn't been present the last times it had been assembled.

And it was damn impressive.

"Short Stuff, stay here," said Tony as the face plate was put into place.

"You can't be fucking serious?! AGAIN?!"

"Obadiah –"

"You said it yourself that the agents with Pepper won't be enough. You think just yourself with your suit will –"

"Keep the skies clear, Rhodey," cut in Tony, pointing in his direction and, without even waiting for a response, he flew right out of the workshop.

Un-FUCKING-believable.

Well, if he thought I was going to stay here and sit still, he was dead wrong.

"I need your help," I said, turning towards Rhodey who was already walking towards the stairs.

"I need to –"

"How ever you need to keep 'the skies clear' can wait two minutes," I snapped, walking towards a desk. "Can you use a screwdriver?"

I heard Rhodey sputter behind me. "Of course, I can."

"Good." I removed the loose t-shirt I was wearing, leaving me in just my usual tank top. I tossed the shirt on the desk and picked up my automail arm. "Then you need to use said screwdriver to reattach this."

"Tony clearly told you to wait here, Ed," said Rhodey sternly, giving me a look that may have worked on someone else.

I, however, was unfazed.

"I don't listen very well, not to Tony and not to Colonels either, you'll learn that soon enough," I said, holding out the screwdriver in his direction. "And I sat back the last time, I'm NOT doing that again! Besides, did this," I waved towards the workshop and the van, "not prove that I can fight? And I'll be even more help WITH my right arm!"

"It's dangerous, you're just a kid!"

I couldn't fucking believe it… I thought I was passed hearing that awful excuse. 1940s, 2000s, it didn't matter it seemed. People just saw my age, my appearance and made assumptions based on what they saw.

Rhodey probably didn't even believe that I took care of all these intruders alone.

"Fine. FINE!" I snapped, turning around and walking to a desk. "Go then. I'll do this myself!" Reattach my arm, probably take one of Tony's and somehow figure out where S.I. – was it Stark Industries? – was located.

I would just need to show them I CAN be useful, that I was NOT a child like they kept believing I was.

"Why do I believe that you'll just steal a car and follow anyway?" sighed Rhodey and I turned to see him walking up to me. "Let's go, tell me what I need to do."

I paused, surprised by the change of attitude.

"Even though I'm still not convinced you're not Tony' kid –"

"I'm not."

"– I still know him well enough to see that you're like him and won't take 'No' for an answer, probably causing property damage to do whatever you plan on doing. Now, arm so we can go help his stubborn ass."

I stared at him for a moment before a smile broke across my face and I handed over the screwdriver.

"You're not so bad, Colonel."

* * *

_Let me know what you thought! :D_


	18. Chapter 18 - Battle at Stark Industries

_Thank you once more to all the readers and to those who have left reviews or put this story on their alert/favorite list! I hope you continue to enjoy the story! :D_

_Previously: After fighting off intruders at the mansion, Ed helped Tony replace his stolen arc reactor with the older version. As Tony flew off to confront Obadiah Stane, Ed recruited the help of Colonel James Rhodes to reattach her automail arm. Ed hadn't listened to Tony before, she wasn't about to start now._

* * *

I fiddled once again with this 'Bluetooth earpiece' in my left ear, its presence being a constant bother for me. I couldn't seem to be able to forget about it like Rhodey had been able to easily do.

Well, he was used to apparently…

Unlike me.

And, sadly, Rhodey seemed to have noticed it when we had been in the lab and JARVIS had told us to grab one each.

I had needed to watch Rhodey as he placed it somewhat in and around his ear to understand what the hell to do with this small piece of technology.

Apparently, it would allow me to communicate with JARVIS and with Tony once we got nearer.

That, at least, was going to be useful.

"So, you're 100% sure you're not Tony's kid?" asked Rhodey, sending me a look as he zoomed past cars on our way to Stark Industries.

In one of Tony's newer cars none the less.

"Definitely," I replied, grabbing onto the door to brace myself. He drove almost as crazily as Tony!

"How about a paternity test?"

"I'm NOT his child," I repeated tensely as we passed close to another car.

"And you're sure about that?"

I rolled my eyes at his constant questioning. "Yes, very sure. You're being overly persistent about this," I remarked.

"I am because, for one, Tony would not just let anyone stay at the mansion for what? Four months so far? Without a good reason," explained Rhodey and I paused, realizing the truth behind that. He waited a moment before taking my silence as a sign to continue. "And, because the alternative is an even bigger stretch. You…" He paused, eyeing me for a moment before shaking his head. "No… Actually, how about you being the grandkid of a World War 2 soldier? Yeah, more plausible."

I didn't answer right away, thinking that possibility over. That would be a good cover actually. It would explain why I looked like 'Edward Elric' of 1945 while being present in 2009. However,… Edward hadn't exactly been known to go out with women too often back then, let alone have a… girlfriend... I would need to figure out more of that backstory at some point to make it believable.

But, for the moment, I needed to figure out what to share with Rhodey. Tony had told me I could trust Rhodey as much as I trusted Pepper. The problem was, I had spent four months getting to know her. I had met Rhodey about 30 minutes ago.

"How long have you known Tony and Pepper," I asked suddenly, turning towards him, mostly to avoid looking at the road and the speeding cars.

Rhodey seemed taken aback by the question. "Wait, you didn't answer my –"

"You'll get an answer," I cut in. "Once I get some information."

Rhodey sighed, seeming to debate with himself before nodding. "Tony since our time at M.I.T. together and Pepper since she was promoted to Tony's assistant. Many years for both."

I nodded at that response as I tried to think back on what that acronym he said meant. It was… a school, I believe? They went to school together?

Wait… What level of schooling was M.I.T.?

However, that didn't matter at the moment. Rhodey had known both for a long time. That begged the question of – "Why hadn't I seen you at the mansion then?"

Rhodey took a deep breath, readjusting his position in his seat. "Tony and I have had our ups and downs during the years. We had been on a… down sadly…"

"And now?" I asked, flinching at how close we had gotten to another car.

"I came to check on both of you, didn't I? And I knew that Tony had been working on something but, considering my position, the less I knew about it, the better it would be for everyone."

I eyed him for a moment longer before finally saying, "Long story but your assumption of me being a soldier from World War 2 was right."

I needed to trust what Tony said and, from what I gathered from Rhodey, he truly was someone to be trusted as well. He was Tony's friend and he had seemed particularly worried when he had entered the workshop and saw his friend on the floor. I needed to believe that the truth would be safe with Rhodey.

He, meanwhile, had exhaled heavily, his eyes wide. "What has Tony gotten himself into this time…?" he mumbled.

"Neither of us had much choice in the matter," I replied with a scoff.

"Why am I not surprised?"

He continued to drive and I could feel that he had so many more questions but I was almost happy he didn't ask them just yet.

I didn't exactly know how to answer some without him actually seeing the video of the Gate dropping me in Tony' lab.

And he needed to focus on driving.

"You think your arm will last?" asked Rhodey suddenly, motioning towards my automail with a tilt of his head. So much for focusing on driving…

I released the handle of the door and flexed my hand, staring intently at it. "It better," I said, remembering what JARVIS had told us back in the workshop: Tony had still been performing tests on it, making sure the wires worked, moving each piece like it was supposed to.

I just hoped it didn't give up on me during a crucial time.

"Alright, well, it looks like we're getting close to S.I.," remarked Rhodey and I saw more cars slowing down around us along with flashing lights ahead. "I'm dropping you off and heading to the base, deal?"

"Good for me."

Rhodey nodded as he focused on the road, weaving through the nearly stopped cars until, in the distance, in…

Fucking shit…

That was a FUCKING huge suit of armour… and we still weren't close enough to –

"That's Tony!" I called out, pointing to the MUCH smaller suit of armour that had just been flung aside, slamming into a series of cars.

"Brace yourself," ordered Rhodey and I felt him slam on the gas pedal, the car lurching forward and picking up speed.

Oh great…

And I actually did as I was told as Rhodey drove straight towards the huge suit of armour.

Mental calculations told me we wouldn't do too much damage but it would at least distract that suit of armour enough to give Tony some time to get back up.

Hopefully.

I squeezed my eyes shut moments before –

My body jerked painfully forward, stopped suddenly by the seat belt. I groaned out as the car spun and I was flung onto the door and…

I hoped the car didn't flip over on itself.

I was jerked once more as the car hit something and came to sudden halt.

Good… We didn't flip…

"_That was horrible_," I complained, blinking as I squinted trying to see where we had landed.

And if this whole ordeal did any damage to that monstrosity or not.

"You okay?" coughed out Rhodey.

I glanced towards him as I nodded, taking in the crumpled hood of the car and the shattered windows around us. The car did get severely damaged but…

"Did it work?" I asked, trying to see where that large suit of armour had gone.

"Somewhat," grumbled Rhodey. "Now, let's –"

We jumped as screeching noises came from over us and the sunroof of the car was slowly torn back. I unbuckled, turning in my seat to –

"Tony!"

He finished opening the sunroof and was staring down at us. "Did you flip over?" he asked, bypassing the pleasantries.

"No, so that was very unnecessary," replied Rhodey, rolling his eyes.

"Slamming into Stane was. I'm running out of cars," said Tony and my eyes widened.

"Stane's IN that suit of armour?!" I asked as I pulled myself up and out from the hole in the roof, glancing around us to try and spot him.

"Yes, and I told you to stay home."

Unbelievable…

"Didn't hear you," I grumbled out, lying through my teeth.

I could feel Tony's stare but I ignored it as I crouched on the roof of the car and offered a helping hand to Rhodey to pull him out.

"Go to Pepper after this, Short Stuff. Stane isn't going easy with his hits," said Tony, turning away and heading…

Ah, that's where that huge armour went.

It may have been impressively large but, the bigger they are, the harder they fell.

And the harder it was to get back up it seemed.

"Alright, be careful, Ed," said Rhodey, jumping off the car. "Try to listen to Tony, got it?"

"Can't make any promises," I replied which made him sigh, nodding half-heartedly before running off.

Good, he didn't stick around to see if I actually listened to the orders or not.

I could focus on that armour then.

Considering its size, the amount of power that thing possessed was dangerous and Stane would probable be able to rip me in two if I annoyed him enough.

Which, considering our last encounter, annoying him wouldn't be that hard.

So, I needed a way to fight Stane that didn't put me in grabbing distance.

If only I had my alchemy… I had tried in the workshop before leaving with Rhodey but I still hadn't felt the hum of energy flow through me. I had thought that maybe having a functioning arm would do the trick but I was wrong…

It was getting ridiculous to be honest, especially considering that if that fucking Gate thought I I needed to do something, having alchemy would help!

Like at the moment, I would have created a staff to be able to stab Stane all while keeping a certain distance between us and as I helped Tony with the fight. The chances of finding a staff were pretty slim in this day and age, though. People didn't exactly carry them around to… to…

I stared at a flipped over car, studying the broken axle. That – that could actually work. I just needed to break off the other side as well.

Then I would have a makeshift steel staff.

Hopefully that would be strong enough!

I ran over to the car and, after a lot of bending and pulling, I got the axle free. It was bulkier than I would have liked but it would work.

Time to FINALLY kick Stane's ass.

Especially knowing that, not only had he been the one double-dealing Tony's company's weapons under the table, had been the one to file the injunction against him but had also stolen Tony's arc reactor and left him for dead…

And, thinking about it, I wouldn't have been surprised if Stane had been the one to hire those thieves all those times to try to break in!

He needed to be stopped!

I had finally reached where Stane and Tony were fighting or more, where Stane was tossing Tony around like a rag doll. Tony wasn't even fighting back. But… why?

"JARVIS," I said, hoping this earpiece would let him hear me. "Is Stane's armour that much stronger than Tony's?"

It thankfully did work. "It does have strength Miss," explained JARVIS. "but Sir's reactor wasn't meant for powering a suit that long."

Fucking shit…

We needed to stop Stane. Fast. Before Tony's arc reactor stopped working.

I circled around, trying to stay out of Stane's line of sight but he seemed overly focused on Tony as he slammed him on the ground.

"For 30 years, I've been holding you up!" yelled Stane, grabbing Tony once more. "I built this company from nothing and nothing's going to stand in my way! Least of all, you!"

And he threw Tony into a nearby bus, making the sides crumple into themselves. Tony's suit may be made of strong material but that didn't mean the impacts were only less violent and painful…

Thankfully, I had managed to get close enough by then before Stane could continue beating on Tony.

Taking a running start, I lifted my makeshift spear, aiming for a section of overlapping pieces, hoping to get between them. I stabbed the axle into the metal, using as much strength as I could muster, testing the limits of my new arm.

The staff went in almost 30 centimeters as steam began to seep out of the hole and it stopped moving, no matter how much I pushed.

Fine. I yanked the axle back just as Stane whirled around and I jumped back, just barely missing getting hit by his large arm.

Stane stared at me for several long seconds before saying, "It's no wonder nothing came up when searching for a Gracia, a psychologist with one arm."

I didn't care about what he was saying though. I bolted to the side, swiping my staff at his arm, almost managing to dislodge whatever weapon was attached to it. His focus was on me and not Tony. That was what was important for the moment.

"And, not only that, this supposed _Gracia_ is somehow a ghost of a soldier past, a certain _Elric_. You will just _have_ to share how that happened," he continued in a taunting voice.

Even though he tried to grab me, I managed to jump back, swiping at him with the axle. It hit its mark but just bounced off, making my arms shake from the impact.

"Fuck you, you asshole!" I yelled out, readjusting my grip on the staff, flexing my left hand.

"I'm not wrong, though."

He wasn't but I wasn't going to let him know that. "You are wrong, I just don't want to argue about this stupid notion with you!" I yelled out, diving to the side as Stane punched the ground where I had been standing.

Here was the thing about fighting Stane in his suit of armour: I had close to five years of experience sparring against Al in his armour. Yes, Al had been smaller but he had also been faster.

Much faster.

Hence why I managed to stab Stane on the side with the axle.

"You haven't aged," he growled, grabbing the weapon, seemingly unaffected by it. "Some people would pay good money to know how you did it."

I staggered back not wanting to be near him without my staff but… those words struck a chord deep within me, one that I had thought I had buried back in 1945.

One that revolved around Zola and the experiments he had wanted to do on me when I had been captured.

Would – would that be my fate in 2009? Would more people recognize me? Would they wonder how I hadn't aged?

Tests and experiments to discover my supposed secret but…

Then they may find the serum too.

I – I couldn't let that happen.

"I am NOT who you think I am!" I yelled out, grabbing a loose rim and throwing it as hard as I could at him.

As Stane went to block it, Tony blasted him in the back of the head as he floated about three meters off the ground.

"Your fight's with me, Stane," said Tony, aiming another shot at the armour's head.

Stane laughed, turning his back to me. "One inconvenience at a time. And I've also made upgrades to the suit!"

I stumbled further back as Stane's armour's legs reshaped themselves and the entire ground began to rumble from… from…

Oh fuck… That monstrosity could FLY?!

"Short Stuff, get to Pepper, make sure she's safe. Do as you're told this time," said Tony as he blasted into the sky. "JARVIS, keep climbing, as high as possible."

I watched the two suits shoot up into the sky before glancing around. Even though I didn't particularly care for being sidelined – AGAIN – I couldn't help Tony in the air. And… I was a little worried about Pepper. Where exactly was she? Was she still at Stark Industries? And, if so… Where was that?

Turning around once again, I spotted brightly lit buildings and some wreckage originating from there. That would probably be my best bet.

"Suit power at 12%."

That – that was JARVIS' voice. But, he must not be talking to me, right?

"Keep going!"

I glanced up into the sky but I could barely make out Tony and Stane. The communication between us must not have been switched off.

Tony was pushing the suit to the limit, to get as high as possible. Why? Could his get higher than Stane's? How would he know that though? Besides, last time Tony had…

My eyes widened. The icing problem!

Stane most likely didn't know about it, not with the metal components of his suit: nothing on it would prevent icing to occur.

And, at that height, the resulting fall may just be enough of a force of impact to severely damage the armour. IF Stane didn't have a back up way to break the ice like Tony had.

I climbed over a fence, searching the immense span of buildings ahead of me, trying to spot –

"Pepper!"

I jumped down and sprinted towards her. She didn't look hurt but, instead, it seemed she was worried more than anything.

"Ed! What are you doing here?" she asked quickly, bridging the gap between us and physically checking to make sure I was alright, her hands resting on my head, shoulder, arm, anything she could reach.

"I came to help and I'm fine," I replied, grasping her wrists and stopping her from continuing her assessment.

"7% power," came JARVIS' voice.

"Just keep it on the screen, stop telling me."

That didn't sound good…

"Where's Tony?" asked Pepper, looking behind me in worry.

I glanced up at the sky but I couldn't make either Tony or Stane out anymore. They were much too high in the air.

"He's somewhere up there," I replied, still searching. "Both of them are."

"Obadiah's suit can fly?!" gasped Pepper in surprise.

"I think the plan is for it to fall, actually," I said.

Pepper didn't respond but I could tell she was still confused. True, she probably hadn't heard about the icing problem. She didn't know that extreme heights were dangerous to a suit of armour not built for that purpose.

"– you solve the icing problem?" asked Tony, sounding far away.

"Icing problem?"

"Better look into that."

I heard a solid 'thunk' and I hoped that meant that Stane's suit was shutting down and falling.

"2% power," said JARVIS.

Fuck!

Tony may just join him in falling!

And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it! I could only stand here and hope that Tony would make it out of the fall, that the power in the arc reactor would be enough to slow him down so he didn't impact the ground violently.

And he wondered why I hated flying…

Several heartbeats passed as Pepper and I stared at the sky. Tony should be getting closer to… to…

There!

Pepper grasped my arm as she also seemed to have spotted Tony falling from the sky. The propulsors on his hands and feet went on and off before we lost sight of him on the roof.

"He… He made it," whispered Pepper, taking a shaky breath, her grip on my arm tightening slightly.

"Pepper." Tony's voice came out of my earpiece and, the way Pepper reacted, she probably heard it as well from hers.

"Tony!" she called out in relief. "Are you okay?"

"I'm almost out of power," he replied. "I've got to get out of this thing. I'll be right there."

Pepper shakily nodded, both of us looking up at the roof.

"Nice try!"

Fucking shit!

STANE!

The fall apparently hadn't been enough to incapacitate his suit!

I took several steps back, glancing left and right to see –

THERE!

I sprinted towards the ladder that led to the roof, ignoring Pepper's yells, using my momentum to push off the wall and grab the lowest rung. Pulling myself up, I scrambled up the ladder, hoping I got up there in time.

Tony's suit was almost out of power.

That power came from the arc reactor.

If the arc reactor failed, who knew if the electromagnetic inside would still work and keep the shrapnel out of his heart.

I didn't want to find out…

Jumping onto the roof, I easily spotted the back of Stane's suit and…

"Tony," I hissed, running towards the two of them where Stane had Tony between his hands, squeezing him tightly.

I didn't really think it through as I used a vent, pushing off of it and landing on Stane's back.

Wires. I could see wires between the plates of the back and the helmet. That could work.

Pulling my automail arm back, I slammed my hand into the space, blindly grabbing whatever I could and pulling up and out.

Stane cursed out, releasing Tony who dropped heavily to the ground. Damn it… This monstrosity of a suit was still working… Stane, meanwhile, raised his arms, trying to grab at me, stumbling around. I held on tightly with my left hand as I reached into his suit once again, trying to rip more wires before I got thrown off.

Hopefully it would be enough to shut the suit down.

I ducked under his reach, slipping back and down, only barely managing to hold on to the –

Fu… ck…

So much pain… All – all through my back.

My vision was blurry, so blurry…

I felt myself slide to the ground and my body crumpled forward.

I – I should have seen this coming… Stane… He had squished me against… something…

Stupid… So stupid…

I groaned, struggling to push myself up, blinking to try to focus my eyesight on something. To try to ignore the throbbing in my back… Ignore the pain…

Ignore the trickle of… Glancing at my left arm, I could see the start – start of blood rolling down. A cut… There was a cut on the back of my shoulder…

Fuck…

But, where – where was Tony? Stane?

"– enjoying the suit." My ears finally picked up Stane's voice and, for some reason, his voice was no longer coming from… the suit? It sounded… clearer? How…? "You outdid yourself, Tony. You finally made your father proud."

That fucking asshole…

With a growl, I shakily pushed myself to my feet, anger boiling within me. Those last words… Considering my relationship with my own father, those words were a dirty and under-handed comment.

And, considering what I knew about Howard's parenting style, it was a low blow to Tony as well.

I breathed deeply, ignoring the jabs of pain from my body as I marched forward towards Stane's voice, hoping to spot Tony somewhere nearby. I truly was going to kick that man with my automail foot. I was –

Bullets and shattering glass.

"Tony, it's ready!" called out Pepper through the earpiece.

Then I finally spotted Tony and my eyes widened.

He was barely holding onto the remaining steel frame of the skylight as Stane was trying to aim his weapon at him. Not only did Tony no longer have one of his gauntlets but he was now missing his helmet too!

"Too bad that brat destroyed my targeting system," said Stane which would explain why he didn't have his own helmet on anymore either. "But, it shouldn't be too hard to hit you."

"Short Stuff," gasped Tony softly, just enough for me to be able to hear. "Get off the roof. Now. Just go."

"Not without… you," I answered just as softly before Stane began shooting.

Shit, shit, SHIT!

I scurried around the roof, sticking behind vents and other structures, barely managing to keep Tony in my sight.

Thankfully, Stane was such a horrid shot and none of the bullets hit any part of Tony that was unprotected!

"It's not up for discussion. Get off. Now!" said Tony, struggling to hang onto the steel frame.

"I - I didn't save your ass in your lab… to watch you die here," I snapped, getting closer to Stane.

"It's the only way to stop him!"

"No, it's not!"

I spotted a satellite dish not too far from Stane and ran over, prying the protective casing at the bottom off, revealing the end of a large wire plugged into it.

"Hold on a minute – a minute longer," I huffed, already yanking at the wire and finally getting it to unplug.

"I don't think we can wait that long!" snapped Tony, still sounding like he was struggling.

"Yes, you can!"

"Just leave, Evelyn!"

I stumbled upon hearing my full name for the first time from Tony's mouth. He… He had never even called me 'Ed' and now… We stared at each other for a moment, our gazes locked and he almost looked pleading…

Did – did he really think he was going to die? Is that why?!

"Fuck. No." Came out of my mouth, looking away from Tony before I dashed towards Stane, weaving between the suit's legs with the wire.

"You don't know when to give up, brat!" yelled Stane angrily, turning in my direction. "I'll take care of you – you…!"

I had let him yell all he wanted as I pulled the wire taunt, using my entire weight to keep it as tight as possible and it was just enough for Stane to begin stumbling sideways in his suit.

His large step to the right yanked me forward and I fell hard to the ground, letting go of the wire. He continued stumbling and…

I scrambled to my feet, dashing towards Tony, not exactly caring what happened to Stane at the moment until –

The resounding crash that followed let me know that asshole had landed heavily on the roof as the impact shook the entire building.

That was good enough for me: it would give me some time to get Tony out of that precarious situation he had put himself in.

"You really don't listen to anyone, do you?" grunted Tony as he tried to pull himself up.

"You're finally getting it," I replied, out of breath as I knelt in front of him as I grasped the metal frame with my left hand and reached out to Tony with my right. "Come on…, let's get you out of this – this mess."

"We need to hurry, Stane's getting up and you're looking worse for wear," he grumbled, holding out the hand that still had the armour on for me to grab onto.

Good idea because, as I began pulling, I ended up squeezing too hard and the metal on the arm started bending under my grip.

To be fair, his suit with him inside it was FUCKING heavy…

It took a moment but we finally managed to get Tony onto the solid part of the roof but…

His arc reactor was starting to flicker.

Its power had almost depleted.

Fuck!

That suit needed to come off or else…

Wait.

I glanced behind us where Stane had almost managed to stand up once again, cursing loudly as he did.

He had stolen Tony's newer arc reactor.

It was now powering that monstrosity of a suit.

Well, I was just going to have to steal it back then.

I ran, stumbling as well, towards Stane, ignoring Tony's surprise call after me. By then, Stane had gotten back on his feet and I ducked under his arm, jumping up and grabbing onto his armour. I reached out to –

"I truly have had enough of you," growled out Stane, getting a hold of me tightly between his hands and beginning to squeeze.

I bit back a groan as I tried to pry him off with only my automail, my other arm being trapped against my side.

Should – should have seen this coming…

"Considering you don't exist, you won't be missed," spat out Stane, squeezing harder.

"Let her go!" yelled out Tony and I briefly caught sight of him charging up his gauntlet through the dark spots that began to swim across my vision.

"St – stop!" I gasped out. He was using up what little energy he had left…

I – I wouldn't let that happen!

With a yell, I slammed my hand into the arc reactor in Stane's chest, squinting through the pain to see if my hand was even grabbing something.

It was.

"Evelyn!"

"You lose, asshole!" I gasped out, yanking the arc reactor out of its socket.

Stane yelled out in despair as his suit powered down and his grip on me loosened, letting me fall into a heap on the ground.

A heap of pure pain…

"Short Stuff…"

I felt myself being dragged aside as I blinked the dark spots away, trying to take a deep breath.

But it hurt…

It hurt so much…

"For a prodigy, you're very stupid," mumbled Tony as he struggled to pull me across the roof, his arc reactor flickering even more.

"Stop…," I breathed out. "Reactor…"

"The one downstairs is about to blow and Pepper can't stop it. We need to move. Well, I need to move both of us," explained Tony in exasperation.

"Asshole…," I mumbled, shaking my head as I made sure I still had the newer arc reactor in my hand.

I thankfully did and it hadn't been damaged.

We – we just needed to switch them.

If Tony would just stop moving then –

"No, not now!"

The yell, being flung, hitting the ground and –

Something heavy on me.

So heavy…

Not to mention the blinding bright light…

And the pain had not subsided. If anything, it may have gotten worse…

What was ON me?!

Once I could see again, I… What the…?

My eyes widened, recognizing the red metal.

"Tony," I gasped out. HE was on me.

And he wasn't moving!

"Tony, come on," I said again my arms shaking as I tried to push him off of me.

It was a struggle just to roll him off and he still hadn't… hadn't reacted… He… He wasn't moving… His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.

And the arc reactor was almost out…

I needed to switch it.

Now.

I… The suit. I needed to get it off… I couldn't reach the arc reactor because of the protective layer on top of it.

"Tony, suit, off, now," I ordered weakly, trying to pry off with my shaky grip. "Tony!"

He still laid there, unconscious and I tried harder to get the chest piece off, trying to also ignore the jolts of pain that flared up through my body.

It wasn't moving.

"JARVIS," I gasped, resorting now to pounding the chest piece. "Tell me there's a way to open this! We have to open it!" There had to be a way, a manual lever or something. "JARVIS!"

I raised my hand but only then realized my earpiece was missing. I had lost it…

Along with my only way to communicate with JARVIS.

Ok, calm down. There needed to be a way to remove the armour! There just had to be! Just like with the icing incident, Tony wouldn't have built this if he couldn't actually get OUT of it!

Wait, maybe…

I spotted a small button on one side and, after climbing on top of Tony, found a similar one on the other side. Please let those be the release buttons!

I pushed both and then pulled up, the chest piece slowly being pried off until –

It popped off and I went flying back.

I groaned out in pain, not amused that the chest piece had landed on me.

Come on…

Shoving the chest piece aside, I rolled onto my hands and knees, crawling back to Tony and where I had left the arc reactor.

Almost there…

My breathing was heavy as I unplugged the old arc reactor and shakily replaced it with the newer one. The – the light was on and…

Did it work?

"Tony…?" I mumbled softly, scooting closer. He still hadn't moved… His breathing hadn't changed… "_Please… Don't leave me too…_"

Those words just tumbled out but…

I had meant them.

I didn't want to keep losing people…

And… this was the second time in one night that…

Damn it…

"_Don't be an asshole and leave Pepper… Leave Happy, Rhodey and even Peggy. Don't make me call her with bad news, Old Man._" My voice was weak but I just kept talking, my automail arm still managing to keep me up.

I groaned lowly, closing my eyes, not knowing what I could do. I wasn't going to be able to get down myself to get help: I didn't have the energy to do so. And I had even less of a chance to get down WITH Tony…

And I couldn't call anyone, not with the missing earpiece…

"_Tony, wake up…,_" I mumbled, feeling my head start to dip in exhaustion. "_Don't… Don't you fucking die… Don't…_"

Would he even listen to me…?

I didn't listen to him…

And –

My head snapped up and I blinked several times, trying to stay awake as my ears picked up the sound of running footsteps.

And they were getting closer.

"_Damn it…_," I growled out, taking a deep breath and pushing myself up.

I stumbled to my feet in time to see several men in dark suits run in our direction and… I didn't know what I could do to fend them off but…

I needed to at least try.

"Get to Stark!" said the man in the lead but his gaze was fixed on me.

I unsteadily shook my head and I felt my body tilt slightly from the movement. "Who –?"

"We're the good guys," explained the man, stopping a meter away from me and he looked like he was trying to stop himself from smiling. "We had been with Miss Potts."

The… agents Rhodey had mentioned.

Honestly, I didn't exactly WANT to trust them but…

I was fading. I didn't have the energy to fight all of them off…

"Fine… Help him," I whispered, moving slightly to –

I stumbled, tripping over my own feet.

Oh, fuck it… I was just going to –

"Oof."

Well, I had not been expecting to be caught.

I strained my neck to look up to see the leader, still eyeing me carefully, looking almost in disbelief…

"You're safe now," he said with a reassuring smile. "And it is an honour to meet you."

Uh… What…?

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you thought! :D_


	19. Chapter 19 - In the Aftermath

_Thank you SOOOOOO much to all the readers and to everyone who left reviews on this story! I love reading all of them! :D (Loved reading you all guessing correctly on who came to help Ed on the roof!)_

_And, I know people have been asking for Alchemy and I promise Ed will get it back soon! (But not yet...!)_

_Previously: Tony and Ed fought off Obadiah Stane in his own version of the Iron Man suit._

* * *

_Outside Stark Industries – Pepper's POV_

Pepper's heart was hammering in her chest almost painfully as she stared in shock at the damaged building. The arc reactor… She had overloaded the circuits but… The reactor itself went haywire before she could press the button herself to cause the malfunction.

Tony and Ed had still been on the roof when the reactor… when the reactor exploded…

She… She may have killed them…

Her worry only increased when neither of them answered her calls, her yells, her PLEAS.

If it hadn't been for an agent holding her back, she would have run head first into the building, climbing to the roof to check on them herself.

But no, she needed to stay far away from the smoldering wreckage for her own safety while other agents went in to find Tony and Ed…

They didn't need to look for Obadiah though… She could still clearly see his large suit of armour partially crushing the arc reactor from when he had fallen onto it…

The other two though… They needed to be okay… Pepper had almost lost Tony once before, she didn't want to relive that again. She had spent months hoping he would be found but each day that had passed made it more difficult…

And Ed… Pepper had just wanted to give that teenager a normal life. THIS wasn't it… Fighting for your life WASN'T it…

It felt like an eternity for Pepper as she stared at the entrance of the building, hoping for them to come down, safe, in one piece.

ALIVE.

_Please…_

Finally – FINALLY! – Pepper caught some movement and people started exiting the building. She bypassed the agent next to her, almost jogging to meet up… up…

Four agents were carrying Tony between them, trying to go as fast but as carefully as they could to…

Pepper hadn't even realized an ambulance had shown up.

But she just stared at Tony, at his unmoving body and dread began to fill her.

"Is he…?" she couldn't even finish the question, not with the worry and guilt building up.

"He's stable," answered Agent Coulson slightly out of breath, making Pepper's focus snap to him and –

"Ed!"

The teenager was leaning heavily on Agent Coulson, wearing the man's suit jacket, its sleeves so long they covered her hands. However, Pepper's focus was on the rest of her…

Ed looked almost as bad, if not worse, than Tony had. The difference though…

Tony's suit had taken most of the damage.

Ed didn't have a suit…

Just the teenager's head, Pepper could see a cut on the forehead, dirt and grime on most of her face and… possibly some bruises forming which added to her overall exhausted look.

Pepper didn't want to know what else lay hidden under the jacket and clothes…How badly she had gotten hurt…

"We're getting them to a hospital, Miss Potts," stated Agent Coulson, readjusting his grip on Ed who was already shaking her head.

"… said 'no'," she mumbled, seeming like she was trying to push herself off of him without any success.

"Maybe you can convince him," added Agent Coulson, sending Pepper a look.

"I doubt I could," she said remembering the very first day she had met Ed and her refusal of going to the hospital then as well. "But they'll ride with me in the ambulance," she added, already reaching out towards Ed. "We'll go with Tony."

The teenager seemed to have been nodding off during the conversation but, the mention of Tony had her eyes snap open briefly and she tried to straighten.

"Yeah, fine," said Ed softly, already stumbling in Pepper's direction, the latter just managing to reach out and wrap her arms around the teenager.

"Agent Coulson, your jacket," said Pepper, letting Ed lean heavily on her.

"I'll get it at the hospital. Have a safe ride," he replied, nodding towards them before walking away.

Pepper watched Agent Coulson for a moment before steering Ed in the direction of the ambulance. The teenager didn't put up a fuss, just hobbling slowly next to Pepper.

_What had happened on the roof?_

The question played over and over in Pepper's mind as she climbed onto the back of the ambulance, almost dragging Ed up with her.

Pepper made a mental note that she may actually need to convince Ed to let a doctor to at least check her for any severe injuries. She didn't want Ed's stubbornness to get in the way of her being able to recover properly.

She was not looking forward to that future discussion…

However,…

Ed and Tony were alive. They were going to make it through.

That was what was important.

Pepper got Ed to sit next to her and, within a minute, the teenager was leaning heavily against Pepper's side, her head drooping as she was already nodding off.

The older woman just wrapped an arm around Ed and held on tightly.

* * *

_At the hospital – Several hours later – Pepper's POV_

"Here, Pepper."

She looked up to see Rhodey holding up a Styrofoam cup in her direction.

"Hot chocolate," he added with a smile.

She returned the smile. "Thank you," she whispered, taking the cup before readjusting her position in the chair.

Even if it was a comfortable one, she hadn't moved since the doctors had allowed her into Tony's private room several hours ago. They had announced that he was now stable and he had been asleep in bed ever since.

Pepper, however, couldn't seem to be able to get the same rest.

She was glad Rhodey came to keep her company.

"Nothing's changed, I'm guessing," he said as he took a seat next to her. "For both of them?"

Pepper shook her head, her gaze falling to the other armchair in the room where Ed was curled up tightly, fast asleep. Agent Coulson had eventually gotten his jacket back when he had passed by to check on them at the hospital and Ed was now covered in at least two hospital blankets.

The teenager had adamantly refused to be treated and Pepper eventually managed to get Ed to agree to at least let the nurses clean up her cuts. The amount of negotiation Pepper had needed to use had been all she could handle for the night and let the teenager stubbornly flop onto the armchair to rest.

Ed hadn't moved since. The soft rise and fall of the blankets being the only sign she was still alright.

"Pepper, do you know about…?" Rhodey's question faded but, with him staring at Ed, Pepper could get the gist of the question.

"She told you?" she asked back, almost a little surprised by the fact: Ed was overly secretive but… She had slowly been more forthcoming with some information.

Very slowly.

"Ok, I wasn't hallucinating," said Rhodey, making Pepper tilt her head to the side in confusion. "You said 'she'. Honestly, I wasn't 100% sure."

"Ed isn't particular about that," said Pepper. "I don't think she would have been insulted if you had said 'he'."

As had the series of nurses and doctors that had passed by. The constant hesitation between 'he' and 'she' had almost been amusing. At least some didn't even try to resolve that brain teaser and referred to Ed as 'they'.

"Ok, yes,… she told me," said Rhodey. "In the car on the way to S.I. after I guessed her possibly being a descendant of a Howling Commando, grandkid or something, but I'm still not sure if I believe her."

Pepper nodded, realizing that 'grandchild' was indeed a good cover that so Ed didn't need to constantly use her disguise as 'Gracia' to go out in public.

"It had been a hard pill to swallow but… interacting with her for the last few months… her situation made more sense. But, how did you make that connection?" asked Pepper, slightly surprised.

Before seeing the pictures of Ed in 1945, Pepper couldn't remember actually hearing about the teenager. Yes, the Howling Commandos were known but… as a team that helped Captain America.

If you wanted more information on the individual team members, you needed to do research, something Pepper hadn't done. And… Even if you did, what were the chances that someone would connect Ed now to the Edward Elric from 1945?

"Funny enough, it was thanks to Tony," explained Rhodey, pointing to the still sleeping man. "Found out at M.I.T. that he disliked Rogers during a frat party. I did some digging as to why, to try to get an explanation. She had been in a picture with Tony's dad and Rogers. It gave me the answers I needed and I haven't forgotten that picture since. She," he motioned towards Ed, "is a spitting image, save for the longer hair that is."

Pepper studied Ed and couldn't help a small smile from spreading across her face. Rhodey did have a point: Ed hadn't cut her hair since arriving and it was becoming a shaggy mess.

It didn't help that the teenager had a bad habit of messing up her hair as well.

"As long as both of them are alright, I won't be picky on their appearances," chuckled Pepper softly, taking a sip of hot chocolate. "And thank you, Rhodey, for getting to the mansion in time to help."

Rhodey, though, looked sheepish as he focused on Tony. "To be honest, I didn't do much of anything. By the time I got there, Tony's arc reactor had been replaced and the intruders had been taken care of."

Pepper's eyes widened at that news. Arc reactor? Intruders? What…? Well, Obadiah had a reactor to power his suit… Had he…? Had taken TONY'S?! Then what had –?

The old arc reactor! The one she had put in that display case! She was beyond grateful she hadn't listened to Tony and had thrown it out like he had wanted to.

And… The intruders? Had they taken the arc reactor…?

"Do you know what had happened?" asked Pepper softly, still very confused. "Because… All I know was that neither Tony or Ed were answering…"

Rhodey nodded, remembering their conversation when he had been in his car. "Apparently Obadiah had come in and stolen Tony's reactor. He had also let in some thieves to steal all the inventions downstairs."

"Did they?!" gasped Pepper.

Rhodey shook his head. "Only the arc reactor had been taken. From what I gathered, Obadiah and Tony had been upstairs. You can thank her," he motioned towards Ed, "for downstairs. All the bad guys were down and out by the time I got there. She even almost attacked me," he added with a chuckle.

Pepper studied Ed with a new light. Had she believed Ed to be from 1945? Yes. Had she thought Ed could actually FIGHT? It hadn't crossed her mind.

Pepper didn't have a clear idea on what Ed's role had been in the Howling Commandos but, whatever vague idea she had did NOT include Ed PARTICIPATING in the fighting.

"Hard to think, looking at her now," remarked Rhodey as he also studied Ed. "She almost looks harmless."

"Almost?" repeated Pepper.

"Metal arm with those scratches take away from the illusion somewhat."

The prosthetic arm was dangling of the front side of the armchair, the only thing apart from Ed's head that wasn't covered by the blankets. Even though the teenager's overall posture and facial expression was almost… cute, the arm served as a harsh reality check to the adults in the room.

"Will Ed continue to stay at the mansion?" asked Rhodey after several minutes.

"If she wants to," replied Pepper. "I don't think Tony would flat out refuse."

"He'll just complain about it without meaning it," added Rhodey making Pepper nod in agreement. "Well, it won't be boring with the two of them."

"It already isn't. You should see when they argue."

Rhodey chuckled as he shook his head, probably picturing it all too clearly…

* * *

_Next day, late afternoon – Stark Mansion – Ed's POV_

I readjusted the position of my wig as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Thankfully Pepper had helped me with the makeup to cover up most of the bruises and scratches on my face and, with the glasses, you could almost not tell they were there.

Besides, they looked worse than they felt.

I had a hard time explaining that to Pepper though…

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back, grabbing my gloves as I did: I was going to need them once Tony, Pepper and Rhodey were ready to leave.

Apparently, there was going to be a press conference at Stark Industries to discuss what had – or more HADN'T – happened the previous night.

It was going to be interesting to see how they would spin that story…

Just to be safe, they had suggested I disguise myself again to accompany them.

Honestly, I would have liked to just stay at the mansion, lay around and rest but…

Not only was I curious about the press conference, but someone _needed_ to talk to me about something or another.

I wasn't looking forward to that…

"Well, look who it is."

I turned around to see Tony making his way towards me, dressed in a suit save for the jacket that was currently tossed over his shoulder.

"Don't make me charge you for a therapy session," I replied, crossing my arms.

That at least got a smirk out of him, the bandages on his face scrunching at the movement.

Technically… I didn't think either one of us should have been moving around so much but…

We were also NOT going to just sit still either.

"By the way," began Tony, leaning against the couch, "I seem to have this vague recollection of _someone,_ at some point, calling me _old_."

I didn't answer, shrugging instead because… the circumstances around that name calling hadn't been the best…

"It almost sounded like the person was – dare I say it? – worried?" he added seeming to gage my reaction.

"That's funny coming from the man who yelled out 'Evelyn' almost in the same way," I replied, cocking my head to the side. "Or did _my_ ears deceive me?"

We stared at each other for several heartbeats before… Well, I sighed, my shoulders slumping.

"Whatever had been said, I'm… I'm just glad you're okay," I whispered, staring at the ground.

"I'll blame all this on lapses in judgement," stated Tony evenly.

I scoffed, not exactly surprised by his constant need for snarky comebacks. I said my piece and that was it.

Seeing him walking around was good enough for me: we didn't need to do any of the sentimental parts.

"But," began Tony, his tone having grown softer as he took a step closer, "off the record, I will deny ever saying this if you bring it up and –"

"What is it?" I sighed, raising an eyebrow.

He cleared his throat before spitting it out quickly, "I'm glad you're okay too."

I just smiled.

"Even though I had told you to stay here and then with Pepper and to get off the roof," he added just as quickly, counting each 'thing he had told me' out on his fingers. "You just have horrible listening skills, Short Stuff."

"Must be picking them up from you," I mumbled, rolling my eyes as I tried to cover up my smiling.

"Well, stop it, I'm a horrible role model."

I frowned slightly at those words. They weren't exactly… true. He was a technical genius who wanted to do the right thing. Nothing wrong with that.

Well, save for the going at it alone bit. That could change.

"I –"

"And, considering that," continued Tony, glancing around the room, "I would understand you not wanting to stay here."

What? My eyes widened and I opened my mouth –

"I mean, we could find you your own place but if moving out is too much of a hassle, the room you're in didn't have another use anyway."

Uh… I was trying to follow his line of thinking but it was getting difficult. Did he want me to leave or –?

"And Pepper seems to be getting use to you being here. Not to mention the robots too. You'd have to break the news to them if you leave."

If…?

"But your choice. I'm not making the decision for you. Wherever you want to live, you tell me and…"

He just kept rambling but I ignore it as I bridged the gap between us and…

Hugged him tightly.

"Off the record," I said as Tony stood stunned, frozen on the spot. "I don't think you're a horrible role model. Stubborn, yes. Horrible, far from it."

"And you're a brat," he sighed, somewhat returning the hug, patting me more than holding me.

"I'm staying so you'll have to get used to this brat that –" The rest died in my throat as…

Oh fuck…

"Short Stuff, awkwardly long hug now."

My face was heating up but it WASN'T MY FAULT!

"The arm's LOCKED!" I hissed, unable to unbend my right arm as it held Tony close. "I can't – It won't move!"

Tony choked out a laugh but I did not find this amusing! I just wanted to – Come on! Just… Open! Damn it!

"Am I interrupting?"

Fucking shit…!

"I'm stuck!" I called out before Tony could answer Rhodey with some bizarre or completely false explanation.

I finally stumbled sideways, away and… The arm was just sticking out, bent in front of me! I vaguely heard Rhodey snort, trying to cover a laugh but I just stared at my automail, eyes wide. It had NEVER done this with Winry and Aunt Pinako's version!

"I_ was_ still running tests on it," said Tony with an amused grin. "Be happy it didn't lock up last night!"

I stared at him and then the arm. "What am I supposed to do about this now?!"

"I don't think anyone will notice," stated Rhodey between chuckles and turned to him in bewilderment.

Tony motioned for me to come closer and, when I did, he began looking at the arm, pushing my sleeve up as he did.

He even tried to pull on the arm to try to unfold it but it wouldn't budge.

And it only made Rhodey's chuckle turn into full laughter.

I just flipped him off as I kept staring at my arm. This was not a fun situation, one that I didn't want to be in…

"How about…?" Tony mumbled as he tried to move the arm, pushing it instead and –

The arm buckled but it folded towards me, falling and smacking my body.

I eyed my arm, flexing each finger slowly, moving it more and more.

"Ok, seems like it works for now. I'll take a better look when we get back," said Tony, moving towards Rhodey.

"Everyone ready?" called Pepper as she entered the living room.

"Yes, but you missed –"

"She didn't miss anything," I interrupted Rhodey, sending him a glare as I passed him and headed towards the door.

"I'll get JARVIS to send you the video," mock whispered Rhodey and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment, having forgotten about JARVIS being able to see EVERYTHING in the house.

I didn't think I would hear the end of it…

And, considering I agreed to stay at the mansion, I truly wouldn't.

The four of us exited the house, heading to the car Happy was standing next to. Tony, of course, went to the driver's side and Happy glanced towards… Pepper.

She just smiled at him and headed to the back door, Happy opening the door for her.

"Ed, you first," she said and my shoulders sagged, realizing I was going to be in the middle with an all too clear view of Tony's crazy driving.

"Fine," I mumbled, climbing in.

Once everyone was in and I was firmly squished between Pepper and Rhodey, we were off.

"Here, Ed," said Pepper after a moment, holding out… something to me. "For my piece of mind, please keep this with you."

I took the rectangular object and looked it over, rotating it a few times.

The problem was…

"And what exactly is this?" I asked, looking up at her.

"A cell phone. So I can call you in case you break your tablet again," explained Pepper and my eyes widened.

"This…? This is a telephone?"

"Short Stuff, you're telling me you studied dark energy, fiber optics and all those technological advances but you never thought to look up cell phones?" asked Tony, eyeing me from the rear-view mirror.

"I didn't think _telephones_ changed!" I countered. "I thought that the video call thing on the tablet was the improvement not… shrinking it down and making it portable and wireless!"

"No one actually SHRINKS anything technically," said Tony. "They BUILT it smaller. We haven't perfected shrinking rays yet."

"Someone's working on shrinking rays?"

"Don't worry, they won't use it on you. They need something actually big to shrink."

He was DAMN lucky my seat built held me back as I yelled out obscenities at him in German. He still had the audacity to smirk in amusement at me through the mirror.

I just flipped him off.

Rhodey, meanwhile, was leaning against the car door, a smile on his face. "I definitely need to make time to visit more often, the two of you are hilarious together."

"Not always," sighed Pepper, massaging her face.

* * *

_Stark Industries_

I scooted onto the large table, folding a leg in front of me as I watched Pepper use some makeup to cover up Tony's injuries as he read a newspaper with a picture of him on the front. Well, him in his suit with the words 'WHO IS IRON MAN?' written in bold as the headline.

Rhodey, meanwhile, had gone to the next room to talk to the reporters about the 'incident' that happened last night, spewing a story someone had come up with at some point in the last several hours.

That someone probably being from the place where those 'agents' came from…

I hadn't seen most of them again since last night except for the one that was just entering the room, wearing… was that the SAME suit? Hadn't he changed?

"Iron Man, that's kinda catchy," said Tony not even acknowledging the agent. "It's got a nice ring to it. I mean, it's not technically accurate though. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy but it's kind of evaporate, the imagery anyway."

The agent had crossed the room by then as he had glanced in my direction several times, probably trying to piece together who I was. Even though he had been the one to help me off the roof and had somehow known about me, we hadn't exactly told him about the disguise.

He seemed to have stopped trying to figure out who I was as he stopped in front of Tony, holding out pieces of paper over the newspaper, very close to Tony's face. "Here's your alibi."

"Okay," mumbled Tony, folding the newspaper and taking them.

"You were on your yacht," added the agent as Tony began reading through said 'alibi'. "We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night and sworn statements from 50 of your guests."

Tony hummed, not looking too impressed. "You know, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just Pepper and me alone on that island."

I chocked at that idea and Pepper just ripped off a band-aid from Tony's forehead, giving him an unamused look.

"Stick to the story, Stark," stated the agent and Pepper nodded in agreement.

"Fine…"

"Read it, word for word," added the agent, raising an eyebrow.

Tony ignored him, still flipping through the papers. I wasn't exactly sure why though considering there were only three of them… He had shuffled them around enough by now…

"There isn't anything about Stane," stated Tony suddenly with a frown. I blinked, a little surprised but… Well, no one technically knew outside us that it had even been Stane in that other suit. This 'incident' shouldn't have anything to do with that asshole.

"That's being handled," replied the agent without missing a beat. "He's on vacation. Small aircraft have such bad safety records."

My eyes widened, not only that they had made up a story for Stane as well but… Small aircrafts were dangerous?! Had – had Tony's airplane been considered small?! Had we –? What –?

"Now look what you've done… Short Stuff won't ever want to fly again," mumbled Tony, waving a hand in my direction. "You're paying for her therapy bills."

"I… No, absolutely not. What –?"

"And what about the whole cover story that it's a bodyguard?" continued Tony, ignoring my sputtering. "I mean… It's kinda flimsy, don't you think? And you're telling me no one saw the metal armed teenager running around the freeway?"

The agent didn't look fazed as he answered, "This isn't my first rodeo, Mr. Stark. Besides, people were a little too engrossed by your shiny suit to notice said teenager. So, just stick to the official statement, and soon, all this will be behind you." He took a look at the television screen that still showed Rhodey speaking to the journalists. "You've got about 2 minutes and I'd like to have a word with Miss Elric."

I cocked my head to the side as he glanced towards me and I was surprised that he would want to talk to… me…

He had recognized me last night and it seemed he finally recognized me in my disguise.

Great… I wondered what he wanted to talk about. Well, apart from the obvious of how I got to 2009 without aging…

The problem was that, unlike Rhodey, nobody could vouch for this agent and how much I could trust him and the organization he worked for.

"Agent Coulson, we –"

"It's fine," I said, cutting off Pepper as I jumped off the table. "I can handle it." I _could_ handle this Agent… Coulson. I just needed to keep reminding myself that.

Pepper eyed me for a moment before she nodded and turned towards the agent. "Just before you go off with Evelyn, I'd like to thank you for all your help the last two days."

He just smiled, nodding to her. "That's what we do. You'll be hearing from us."

Pepper smiled as she began reciting, "From the Strategic Homeland and –"

"Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D.," said Coulson before glancing towards me and motioning for me to follow with a tilt of his head.

I called out, "Have fun," to Tony and Pepper as I walked out of the room behind Agent Coulson.

We walked in silence for several steps before he turned around, stopping in the middle of the hallway and facing me. Once again, I noticed how he seemed to be trying to stop himself from smiling as he stared at me.

And stared.

I cleared my throat, crossing my arms and that seemed to snap him out of it.

"Sorry, still processing that I'm standing in front of Edward Elric," said Coulson as he seemed to try to remain calm.

"How'd you know I was Edward?" I asked.

"I know everything about you," he replied and my eyebrows raised in surprise. "I mean, of you and the rest of the Howling Commando," he added quickly. "And Captain America of course. But, I can't say 'everything', can I? Seeing as you are a woman."

I nodded slowly, not having expected this. The Coulson with Tony was not the same one as with me. Well, to begin with, Coulson seemed… to not hate me. He was _happy_ to see me.

Last time someone I didn't know looked _happy_ to see me was…

In Amestris. When I was the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Oh shit! His comment before made sense! He was a _FAN_!

Woah… He was a fan…

That was refreshing.

"Yeah, surprise," I said, referring back to the 'woman' comment. "Is there any way of keeping this Edward and me are the same person a secret though?"

It didn't hurt to ask.

Coulson just smiled, handing me a large envelope. "Already taken care of."

I eyed the envelope and then him, back and forth for a moment before taking it and looking inside. I saw a LOT of papers in there. I tilted the envelope and let several of the papers slide out and –

"Everything you may need to start a new life is here," explained Coulson and my eyes widened, seeing one of the papers as a – "Birth certificate, school papers, driver's license… You do know how to drive, don't you?"

I shrugged as I continued to flip through all the papers. "I know which pedal is the brake and which is the gas."

"Maybe we'll wait for the driver's license…," he murmured, grabbing one of the cards in the pile.

"_Erbsenz__ä__hler_…," I mumbled.

"The cover story for you is that you are Edward Elric's great-niece," continued Coulson, ignoring what I had said as he pocketed the driver's license. "It'll explain the resemblance at least and remove questions about 18-year-old you having a love interest and child in 1945." I just hoped my face hadn't gotten too red at the mention of 'love interest'. "Also, if you wish to have your own place to live, let me know and we can arrange something."

I frowned, looking up from the papers. Not that I needed a place to stay but… "And how would I pay for that 'place to stay'?"

"Well, a good start is that you can find a job with the documents we have provided. S.H.I.E.L.D. would cover the costs, though."

"In exchange for what?"

Coulson cocked his head slightly, eyeing me carefully. "We wouldn't ask for payment."

"I believed you until now, Agent Coulson," I sighed, putting the papers back in the envelope. "As helpful as S.H.I.E.L.D. has been, they wouldn't do this for free." He opened his mouth to reply to that but I didn't let him. "Thank you for the offer but I already have a place to stay."

There was a pause before he nodded. "Of course. If there is anything else you need, my number is in the envelope as well. Contact me for anything."

I hummed in acknowledgement. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you for your help. Anything else? Tony should be talking to the reporters by now." Even though I had asked, I was already turned towards the room, ready to head back.

"There is one last question, Miss Elric," began Agent Coulson and I glanced towards him. "How exactly did you meet Mr. Stark?"

I just smirked, shrugging my shoulders. "Good question, Agent Coulson. Thanks again."

I turned around, raising a hand to wave at him as I walked back into the room.

"Pleasure meeting you," he called back and I felt myself smiling.

He wasn't getting his answer though.

This S.H.I.E.L.D. may have helped us these last few days but they were not getting ANY information about the Gate and how I got dropped onto Tony's basement floor. They could speculate all they wanted but they didn't deserve the truth.

No matter how much of a fan Agent Coulson was.

Well, at least not yet did they deserve the truth.

I entered the room in time to hear the end of a reporter's question on the television, "… that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you –"

"I know it's confusing," cut in Tony, sounding a little annoyed. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate, that I'm a superhero."

"What exactly did I miss…?" I whispered, standing next to Pepper as we both watched the scene unfold.

Tony didn't seem to be sticking to the alibi Agent Coulson had given him…

And, from the long sigh that came from Pepper, he probably wasn't…

"I never said you were a superhero," replied the reporter.

"You didn't?"

She hummed in disagreement and I saw Pepper massage her face.

"Well good," said Tony, lifting the papers in his hand, "because that would be outlandish and," he paused before finishing with a sigh, "fantastic." My ears perked up at the way he said that. He truly did want to be a better person… "I'm just not the hero type," he continued, seeming to backtrack on his previous statement. "Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."

Pepper just seemed to deflate even more and, thankfully Rhodey took a step closer to Tony and whispered something to him.

Tony nodded, lifting his papers once again. "The truth is," he paused, his eyes staring ahead at the reporters and I had that feeling that he wasn't going to stick to the alibi…

And then he uttered those words that had the entire room up in a frenzy, shouting questions at him.

"I am Iron Man."

I just shook my head, a smile on my face.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

_Let me know what you thought! :D_


	20. Chapter 20 - End-Credit Scene

_Thank you so much to everyone for sticking with the story for so long! And thank you so much for all the reviews, it means so much to me!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Tony's Workshop – Ed's POV_

"So, it shouldn't lock up again?" I asked, eyeing my automail arm cautiously on the table in front of Tony and myself.

"Not unless you ask me that question AGAIN," he replied, sending me a look.

I ignored it, continuing to study the arm before I heard a chime from my cell phone not too far away. "By the way," I began as I went to check what had happened on the device, "have you thought about –"

"The retractable blade," he finished with a sigh, sending me another look. "I know. I told you, you're listening skills need improvement. I'll. Think. About. It."

I picked up my cell phone, turning back to face him. "If you think you're going around as Iron Man from now on doing who know what, then I'd like SOME way to help with the fighting. A blade is a good start!"

Tony just rolled his eyes, going back to finishing whatever else needed to be done on my arm. I, meanwhile, sighed in annoyance before checking on what had caused the chime on my cell phone.

A message from Pepper.

I took me a moment to not only remember how to get to the screen to reply to the message, but to do so with only one hand. I had seen Pepper easily use hers with one hand but I still couldn't get the hang of it just yet.

**Pepper**

**Reminder to both of you to go to sleep. You BOTH need your rest.**

**Goodnight!**

"Pepper wants us to go to sleep," I said, passing long the message.

"That's nice," replied Tony without making any move to do so.

"That's what I thought."

To be honest, I wasn't sleepy either but I did write back to her.

**Ed**

**We will. Eventually.**

**Goodnight!**

I was sure she was sighing upon reading my response.

I almost felt bad but I was sure she was used to this by now… And, here was the thing though: I wasn't sleepy but…

"Food? Coffee?" I asked, turning towards Tony, pocketing my cell phone.

He actually looked up and seemed to think it over for a moment before answering, "You just need me to come up with you since you can't carry much with just one arm."

I rolled my eyes, heading towards the stairs. "No coffee for you then."

He didn't answer but I heard him put down his tools and walk in my direction.

Good, I could maybe get more snacks if he carried some down too!

I wasn't going to say he was right with his assumption though.

Once upstairs, Tony and I crossed the dark living room on our way to the –

"I am Iron Man."

A man's voice came from near the large windows, the ones currently shrouded in darkness, making Tony and I skid to a halt, turning towards him.

What the hell?!

"You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark and Miss Elric, the two of you have become part of a bigger universe, you just don't know it yet."

"Who the hell are you?" asked Tony sternly.

"And how do people keep breaking in?" I mumbled in annoyance.

Especially considering I didn't have my arm again… Well, I took care of the other intruders with one arm, I can do the same with this one.

The man stepped closer, finally getting into the beam of light from the kitchen. He wore complete black, including a long, leather trench coat and…

He even had an eyepatch on his left eye.

"Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," said the man and my shoulders sagged in surprise.

Honestly, we should have seen this coming. Agent Coulon had even said S.H.I.E.L.D. would be in touch.

However, did the director really need to break into the house…?

"I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."

The what…?

* * *

_And that was it for the 2nd story! :D_

_I had wondered if I just put all the Iron Man movies together in one story but decided to split the stories by movie :) Besides, it will help with the next installment that will slightly change some of the sequence of events in the MCU ;D It'll be like a .5 story in the collection and I hope you'll enjoy it!_

_Let me know what you thought! :D_

_P.S. Next installment is up! It is called "__Of Memories, Science, and Postcards"!_


	21. AN

A little update to warn readers that the next installment is up!

It's called "Of Memories, Science, and Postcards"!


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